Pearl Harbor
by DreamofInception
Summary: "America is going to join the war whether we like it or not, and when they do, we have to be prepared." AU Rachel is a nurse and Finn is a pilot in training at Pearl Harbor in 1941.
1. Part 1 The Romance

_Hey guys! I've figured that I'm just going to do these long shot stories for a while, so I will make The Runaways into one of these I think making it a multi-chapter is unnecessary. Hope you enjoy this one, I sure do! Here's the first part of Pearl Harbor -_

* * *

**Pearl Harbor**

i. _  
_

He sees her for the first time when she steps out of the train, her dress flowing freely with the island wind. Her hair is placed messily on the top of her head as she wipes several strands from the frame of her face. Eyes, brown as chocolate, meet his, and for a moment, their eyes locked in one another's gaze.

He knows he should look away, he doesn't even like sharing eye contact with his mom. But he notices her eyes warm up, and his stomach does that thing where all you feel is butterflies flying around in there. Her lips turn into a warm smile when he feels his cheeks reddening, and it makes his heart race.

"Hey Hudson," Puck chirps, bringing him out of his haze. He shakes his head and turns towards his friend beside him, his eyes questioning. "You know who that young babe is?" It kind of ticks him off when Puck calls her that, but he hides it through his tight smile.

"No, must have brought in a new round of nurses. I've never seen her around before." He's pretty sure he would have noticed someone that beautiful, it'd be insulting if he didn't. He watches as she laughs with a blonde woman, her teeth glistening in the sun. He soars.

Puck nudges his shoulder with his. "You okay there Hud? Looks like you saw an angel."

He's pretty sure he did.

* * *

ii. _  
_

Finn can't seem to get her out of his head.

He knows he's only seen her for a couple of seconds, he doesn't know her name, he doesn't know what she's like. And maybe he's crazy for being this attached to someone who he's never met before. But that title doesn't even bother him, because if it means getting to see her again, then he can be called every name in the book.

"Yo Finnocence!"

Except for that.

Finn turns around, already knowing who it was without looking. He sees Puck strut towards the bar, his hand raised in a slight wave. "You drinking without me Huddy?" he asks as he sits himself in a stool beside him. He smirks as he reaches forward and grabs the beverage from Finn's hands.

Finn rolls his eyes as he swallows the alcohol in one gulp. "Better slow down, Pilot Puckerman, we've both got an early shift tomorrow working on the planes," he tells him, taking the empty glass back and sliding across to the bartender.

Puck groans, dropping his head in his hands momentarily. "Who told you? Officer Schue?" he laughs without humor when Finn nods, "I swear that man is out get me. I haven't gotten a day off in three damn months."

Finn shrugs. "What do you expect? The war is getting worse. Whether we like it or not, America is going to join, and when we do, all of us have to be ready." He sighs out heavily, his eyes blinking closed. He hates talking about the ongoing war in Europe, with all those men dyeing out there while they sit here and wait for something to happen. He wants to kill some of those damn Germans.

"This is just the beginning of a long and fatal war isn't it?"

Puck's question catches him off guard. He knows about World War 1, his father fought two long years in it. Whenever he asked what it was like, he always responded with "I hope you never see the things I saw."

Somehow, he knows this will be much worse.

* * *

iii. _  
_

"Look man, it's going to be super fun!"

Finn sighs, looking up at Mike as he pleads with him in their shared room. "Look, Mike, I've had a long day, all I want to do is sleep or play some guitar or something. I'm not really into a double - "

"Triple date!" Puck chirps in from inside the washroom.

Finn rolls his eyes, but continues anyways. "Yeah, triple date. Plus, we're training for war, we have no time for women." To be honest, that was totally untrue. He just doesn't want to go on a date with anyone except that mystery girl.

"You haven't even met them Finn!" Mike whines, "Tina says they're beautiful."

Puck steps out of the bathroom, winking at Mike. "Considering she's dating you, she has some pretty awful taste," he teases. Mike gives him the finger. He turns back to Finn. "Come on Finn, I've never seen you with a girl before, I know one can make you happy."

Finn bites on his bottom lip, squinting his eyes at the Asian boy in front of him. He knows he's right, the last girlfriend he had was six years ago, when he was seventeen, plus he's pretty sure he didn't even like her that much. He breathes out heavily, and he can already see the grin forming on Mike's face when he asks,

"When are we leaving?"

**- - - - - - - PEARL HARBOR - - - - - - -**

They arrive at the beach twenty minutes later, after Mike complaining that Finn can't go on a date in his uniform. He's dressed in a dress top and pants, his buff chest showing through the white shirt. Puck pats his back, teasing him about his muscular body as they wait for the girls to arrive.

"We've been here for three years, and I don't think I've ever seen you out of uniform," Puck chuckles, nodding his head in satisfaction, "I really thought your man boobs were bigger than that."

Finn snorts. "It's muscle jackass."

Puck sends him an annoyed glare, and Finn shoots one back, both of them freezing when they hear the sound of footprints hitting sand. He watches as Pucks face transitions, his upper lip curling in a small smile, his eyes widening in awe. Finn follows his eyes and notices his distraction as Mike's girlfriend, Tina, and another blonde walk towards them.

Finn shrugs. Sure, she's beautiful, but she's not that brunette at the train station.

"Hey doll," Tina mumbles, pressing a kiss to Mike's cheek. She turns to her friend beside her, gesturing towards her with her hands. "Boys, this is my friend Quinn, and that's Puck," she points to the drooling mohawk man, "and Finn," she points to Finn, and he sends her a small wave.

"Hello boys," she says, her voice sultry and sweet, and Finn chuckles when it pulls Puck deeper into the attraction. "Which one of you is my date tonight?"

Puck's hand jolts up, and Quinn giggles, curtseying to him. "I hope you know how to have a good time," she slithers. Puck nods in bewilderment, speaking for the first time since he saw her, "Y-Yes ma'm."

The echo of another pair of sandals flapping against the sand door catches Finn's attention, as the two couples stay included in their conversations. He looks up at the opening of the beach, his eyes widening in utter shock. His jaw drops open slightly, because this can't be happening, this kind of stuff doesn't _happen._

God damnit, did she get more beautiful since the last time he saw her?

She smiles warmly at him, the same way she did that day at the train station. Her hair is curled in long, brown locks, matching the dark green colour of her dress. She walks over the last few yards, and he really hopes she isn't freaked out by another one of his stares.

"Everyone," Tina exclaims, and their eyes break away from each other to look at the Asian, "this is my friend Rachel Berry."

_Rachel._

It sounds like heaven.

"That's Puck and that's your date Finn." Her eyes avert back to his, and they totally ignore Puck's greeting as she walks towards him, her brown eyes glistening.

"Pleasure to meet you," she whispers, her hand extending towards his. He stares at it, appreciating her marbled and tanned skin before picking it up in his large one. He bends forward, pressing his lips to the back of her hand. She lets out a small breath, and he looks up at her to see her eyes wide.

"You have no idea."

Mike claps his hands together, and it echoes throughout the night, breaking the trance between the two. "Alright, do whatever you want to do, go where ever you want to go, and we'll meet back here in an hour," he announces to the group. Everyone begins to separate, Mike and Tina drifting towards the rocks as Puck follows Quinn to the waves of the ocean.

Finn looks over at Rachel shyly, smiling when he looks into her brown depths. "Take a walk with me?" he asks, tilting his head to a pathway in the sand. She grins, nodding her head as they start a rhythm of feet hitting sand. It's a quiet and peaceful night except for the occasional wind, giving the dark sky a romantic glow.

Waves crash against the shore of the beach, creating a soothing echo. "You know," Rachel starts, her voice mixing with the background noises of the night, "I usually don't agree to these things." Her head is down cast as she talks, hiding hints of where she wants this conversation to lead.

"What changed your mind?"

"The war," her eyelashes flap against the smooth surface of her cheeks as she looks up at him with warm eyes. She bites on her bottom lip slightly, debating on whether or not to continue. "Knowing that at any moment America will join it and then I won't be able to have any more chances like this."

Her eyebrows knit together, mirroring her beautiful face with frustration. He watches her expression carefully, sighing in understanding to her words. "Like living your life to the fullest.

She nods in agreement. "All nineteen years of it."

Her response baffles him. Nineteen. Nineteen and offering her services for the army. "Nineteen?" he croaks out, and her eyebrows shoot up at his tone, "what are you doing in the military at nineteen?"

She smiles, warm and soft, making his stomach turn uncontrollably. Her lips are plump as she stretches them, her white teeth shinning brighter than the moon. "I'm a lady now, I can make my own decisions," she explains, proud of her statement. He stops in their tracks, turning fully to face her, the light from the stars shinning upon her figure. "Do these decisions include a reason?" he inquires.

Rachel sighs heavily. "I've seen people with no hope. I want to be the one to restore it," she pulls the length of her hair to one side, brushing strands with her fingers. Her chest rises and falls with every breath she takes, and he can't seem to take his eyes away from her face. She looks up, and their eyes lock in a trembling gaze.

"So you're that kind of lady."

Her eyes narrow. "What kind?" she demands. She steps closer to him, their bodies almost touching, and he can feel the heat of their closeness radiating his skin.

"The lady thats way too good to be trapped between a raging war. The one that should be home, laughing with their children and husband instead of witnessing the horror of reality." He knows he's rambling, but he doesn't care, because all that matters is that she shouldn't be here, giving her life to others when she can have a perfect one back home. She's too good for this war, for this _world._

She stares at him, her eyes wide and soft under his tender gaze. The wind slightly trails around them, that her words almost get lost in the dark night. "I want that," she whispers, "children, I mean. But in order for that to happen I have to make sure that some men are alive by the end of this." Her breath fans over him as she speaks, and it's giving him unexplained reactions.

He analyzes her expression, so in thought and concentrated that it takes everything in him not to kiss away her worries. Her lips are plump and red and it's hard not to pay attention to them when its the only thing he wants. He decides to distract himself as he brushes his hand against her, giving him some type of the contact he's craving.

"There will be. I will be. I've been through years of training. I'm not afraid of going out there and never coming back," he explains to her. She shakes her head in confusion, "years?"

Finn begins to walk back along the beach, hinting for her to follow with his hand. She presses herself close to him as they make their across the sand, their arms grazing at each motion they make. He sighs heavily, staring across the water. "My father was in the first world war. He died a couple years ago from a heart attack when I was twenty, and I want to continue his heroism, and protect my country."

Her fingers grip his. "I'm sorry," she mumbles, and it sounds genuine but he's too concentrated on the electricity passing along their skin to notice. He tries not to show it, and he sends her a small grin. She must notice his discomfort, because she attempts to change the subject. "So how old does that make you?"

"Twenty two."

Rachel beams at him, so big, so wide, that it might be bigger than the moon above them. He smiles back knowingly, and the giggle that escapes her sends chills down his back. She nods her head, trying and failing to hide her grin. "Okay. Okay, that's good to know."

Finn chuckles lightly, the sound spreading a blush across both their faces. He breathes out heavily, grazing her knuckles with the pad of his thumb softly. Their linked hands swing together as they walk, and he thanks his lucky stars for sending him Rachel Berry, the mystery girl, the lady who might change everything. He stares down at her as she looks up into the sky. "So Miss. Berry, is there anything else in your life that you want?"

She shrugs. "I've always wanted to watch the full moon on the beach," she answers carefully.

"Oh yeah? Would you mind if I come along with you if you do?"

Her smile shines brighter then the stars.

* * *

iv.

"Sounds like you had fun," Sam, a pilot who works at the airfield with him, says after he's done explaining his story. Finn smiles in agreement, nodding his head in bewilderment. He swings his feet on the wing of the plane they're sitting on, his hands rusty after fixing the guns jammed in the aircraft. "She's amazing, Sam, I felt like I've known her for ages."

"Slow down, Hudson, now you're starting to sound like a girl."

Finn lets out a low chuckle at Sam's comment, shrugging his slack shoulders. The funny thing is, he _knows _he sounds like a girl, chatting happily about a first date. It's not normal for him, he's never been so drawn to someone, so desperate for someone's attention and affection. Until he met Rachel.

"So are you going to ask her to be your sweetheart?" Sam asks.

"Ask who to be his sweetheart?"

He doesn't expect to see her here, so when he turns around to the see who's speaking, he thinks he's dreaming.

"Rachel?" Finn questions, his voice hoarse. He notices Sam's eyes widen in surprise, or maybe amusement, he can't tell. Rachel nods her head in confirmation, her smile matching the white material of her dress. "Good evening, Captain Hudson," she turns to Sam, "and you are?"

Sam splutters. "Uhm, uh - Sam. It's Sam. But it doesn't matter because I've got a - a dinner to attend to so I must going." He winks at Finn mischievously, and hops off of the wing, landing sharply on his feet. He walks by Rachel without another word, and she looks up at Finn in confusion.

"He didn't have to leave," she murmurs, and Finn kind of forgets how to speak. She's here, she's really here, isn't she? He stares at her, still in shock, her brown eyes wide and round. She steps closer to the plane, her head tilting upwards to get a better look. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

That sends Finn back to reality. "No. No! Of course not, we just finished our duties actually. I'm just staying later to test out all the planes, that's all," he explains, and it seems to make her relax because she visibly sighs with relief. Her eyes trail over the plane, and then back to him sitting on the wing. She jerks her chin towards him. "Mind if I visit you up there? You look awfully lonely."

Finn smiles. "Come on up."

Rachel gives him a shy grin before walking towards the ladder leaned against the wing. It's actually against procedure for untrained pilots to even touch the planes, but it's almost ten at night, and no one else is here, so he doesn't care. He grabs her extending hand as she reaches the last step of the ladder, and pulls her up onto the wing. She laughs playfully as she collapses beside him, her loose hair falling around her face.

"No wonder I don't see many girl pilots," she mumbles, crossing her legs on the edge of the wing. He chuckles, and shifts so he's propping himself on his elbows. He looks over at her in amazement. "So, tell me Ms. Berry, what are you doing here on such a fine night?"

She grins. "Well, I've just finished my shift at the hospital, and I saw that I had some extra time to spare," she replies, and it makes his heart do this funny little dance to know that he's the first person she thought of. He nods, unable to wipe the boyish smile plastered on his face.

Rachel locks strands of hair behind her ear, her eyes innocent as she stares up at him through her eyelashes. "So, who was the sweetheart you and Sam were discussing?"

He gulps. "Oh, just, this . . . girl back home that Sam adores. Name's," he looks around the room for inspiration. His eyes land on a plane across for them, "her name is A . . . ten." Aten? _Damn it, damn it, damn it._

Rachel raises her eyebrows. "Aten?" she questions, and he nods repeatedly.

She smiles in amusement.

She totally knows.

* * *

v. _  
_

Finn plops onto his cot, his body feeling like millions of pretty flowers despite the fact that it's one in the morning. He and Rachel talked for about another hour before she left to go to bed, and the scent of her is still on his mind. She was soft and warm just like that night on the beach, and he seriously think he's going crazy over her eyes. Puck and Mike stare at him in confusion as they walk through the door to their room, eyebrows arched and eyes narrowed.

"So, did you get laid or something?" Puck wonders, his tone laced with curiosity.

Leave it to Puck to ruin his good mood.

He sits up on the cot, the bed slightly creaking as he makes the transition. He stares at Puck in annoyance. "Have you ever had a girl who made you feel good without sex?" he growls. Puck shrugs as Mike tries to stifle a laugh. "I didn't get laid. I just got lucky."

Puck suddenly becomes interested again. "What? Blow jobs in a closet? Was she good man? I was looking at her hands and was - "

"Puck!" Mike interrupts, throwing his hands in frustration. He flicks his fingers against the hard side of his face, hinting for him to shut up. He turns to Finn, smiling lightly, "go ahead Finn."

Finn sighs. "I'm just . . . lucky. I mean, I think I started falling for her the moment I saw her at the train station. She's beautiful and smart and amazing and . . . " he trails off, his mouth going dry at the thought of her. He can already sense the comment bubbling from Puck's lips. "Oh, so you're gay now?" he snickers, earning another flick to the head from Mike.

"Shut up Puckerman," he hisses.

Puck rolls his eyes, jabbing his thumb to Finn as he talks to Mike. "I bet he's infected by that full moon tonight. Don't think I've ever seen him act this in love before."

The comment doesn't even bother him, doesn't even phase him as he repeats Puck's words in his head. _I bet he's infected by that full moon tonight.__  
_

Full moon.

Finn shoots up from the cot, earning a slight jump from both Mike and Puck sitting in front of him. He stands up quickly, rushing to get his shoes on. "Full moon, right. She'll love that," he turns to the two boys, "she'll love it! And then she'll love me!"

He runs out of the room before anything else is said, leaving Puck and Mike in the wake of his rush. Mike sighs heavily, nodding his head before Puck even says the words,

"He's in way deep."

* * *

vi. _  
_

Finn knocks anxiously on the door of the nursery camp. He knows there's a couple more girls than Rachel sleeping in there, but he doesn't care, he just wants to see her, to win her heart. He can hear footsteps on the other side of the door making it's way, and he shifts nervously on his feet, hoping it's not some random nurse.

Finn knocks anxiously on the door of the nursery camp. He knows there's a couple more girls than Rachel sleeping in there, but he doesn't care, he just wants to see her, to win her heart. He can hear footsteps on the other side of the door making it's way, and he shifts nervously on his feet, hoping it's not some random nurse.

The door swings open, and there she is, Rachel.

"Finn?" she stutters, her eyes squinting into the dark night. She covers the front of her night dress with her hands, surprise slowly coaxing her face. "What are you doing here?"

He grins like a little kid. "It's a full moon," he states. He watches as she steps a little further out on the porch to look up at the night sky. She stares back down at him, her expression a mixture of confusion and worry. "Yes," she mumbles, agreeing with him.

"Get changed."

Rachel gasps. "Pardon me?" she demands. Her arms cross over each other, and she glares at him with questions wanting to be answered. He doesn't really notice though, because, you know, he's just paying attention to the bottomless depths of her brown eyes.

"You told me you wanted to watch the full moon on the beach so let's go." He gestures for her to come out, and she presses her delicate finger against his lips to keep him from waking the rest of the camp. Her eyes are wide as she speaks, "I-I can't just go! It's past two in the morning!"

Finn smiles cheekily against her finger, his teeth pressing against her skin. "Perfect time."

Her eyes narrow at him. She retreats her hand back, wiping his saliva on the material of her night gown. Without saying a word she slips back into the building, the only sound embracing him the cricket's surrounding the island. He stares at the door anxiously, did she go back to bed?

The door opens and she comes out with a shaw hugging her shoulder and chest. She passes by him without a second glance, expecting him to follow as she makes her way down the porch steps of the nurse's camp. She stops at the last step when she doesn't hear his following footsteps, turning slightly on her hip to stare back at him.

"Are you coming Mr. Hudson?"

_Dayum._

**- - - - - - - PEARL HARBOR - - - - - - -**

"Here, perfect spot."

Rachel stares at him incredously, her eyes wide as she watches him flip his sandals off onto the sand. She looks around her, observing if anyone else is watching his madness. "Finn, what are you doing?" she questions, as he lays himself on the sandy surface. He curves his finger for her to follow his actions, patting a spot beside him with his other hand.

"You want to watch the moon don't you?" he quirks, one eyebrow raising. She sighs heavily, pulling the shaw tighter over her shuddering body as she lowers herself to the ground. Feeling bold, she presses her full frame into the sand, her skin barely grazing Finn's.

When she looks up, she gasps a little, because the moon looks like a crystal under her gaze. It's shinning brighter, and glowing in a more beautiful manner than what people standing up would see. She grins, and Finn nods her head before she even says the words, "this is beautiful." Her hand slowly crawls along the surface, and she jumps a little by the abnormal heat when she reaches Finn's skin. Her fingers grip his, and she gives him a tight squeeze. "Thank you."

The overwhelming feeling of his soft skin increases when he props himself on one elbow. Shifting so his hip is pressed into the ground, he turns to face her, resting his head on his palm. She feels heavy under his tender, yet intense gaze, a warm feeling overtaking her form. She stares up at him, and he removes his hand from hers to glide his fingers along the soft skin of her cheek.

Rachel smiles warmly. "It was you," she whispers, their eyes still connected. She searches his face, watching as his eyebrows narrow in confusion. "At the train station, I remember looking over, and seeing these beautiful amber coloured eyes." Her fingers trail a hot path along his cheek, grazing it tenderly. "I thought I would never see them again.

His eyes are soft as he looks at her, and he grins knowingly. His hand curls around her face to cup her cheek, his thumb padding her flesh. "I guess the universe is trying to tell us something."

"Yeah," she agrees, "fate."

Finn leans forward, their bodies pressing together as his forehead falls against her chin. He sighs out heavily, his breath fanning her throat as she breathes catiously, her heart accelerating. "You know," she whispers, her voice so queit he can't tell what she's feeling, "you could break my heart."

He picks his head up, staring at her through hooded eyes. She glares back, and he knows she's talking about his training, if he gets shipped to fight in Europe. He knows she wants his honest response, so he gives it to her. "I won't" he vows, and her bottom lip slightly quivers.

His heart kind of sinks at the sight of it, because he doesn't want her to worry about him. He shifts so his face is right above hers, and he doesn't really know what he's doing because he can't trust himself around her. Her hair is splayed around her head wildly, her face blank as she tries to hide her emotions.

Finn slowly lowers his head, his motions hesitant yet exciting. His eyes never leave hers as he inches closer and closer, the sound of their rappid breathing the only noise surrounding them. His mouth hovers over hers, and he can almost taste her sweetness.

She gasps slightly when he presses his lips against hers, the contact sending a trail of fire down both bodies. Their eyelashes catch against another as he grips her closer, his hands threading through her lucious hair. It's the most gentle experience he's ever had. Her lips, plump and red are now his addiction, but with the strength of chastity, he slightly pulls away.

Her eyes are glazy and tender as he looks into them, and it takes everything in him not to continue their affections. She brushes strands of hair from his forehead, and when she nods, he knows it's permission to go back in. It's different from the first one when he leans in to kiss her again, more desperate, more hungry. She parts her lips widly, allowing his tongue entrance into her mouth.

A low moan escapes him at the new contact, pleasure instantly coaxing his body. Skin touches skin as he shifts so he's hovering on top of her, his elbows placed on either side of her head to steady himself. The sand creates a bubble around them, nothing but the two of them, kissing, embracing. The experience is so overwhelming he totally forgets about the moon.

Rachel's fingers make pathways of fire as they trail along his cheeks. Finn shudders under her touch, seperating his lips from her hers to attach them to the base of her throat. She widens her legs for him to settle between them as he peppers kisses across her neck, sighs of bliss escaping her. Her hands wander between the space of their two bodies, and he freezes when she brushes along his length.

Finn pulls back. "Rachel," he breathes, his eyes questioning.

She answers him with a passionate kiss, and then they lost themselves in the moonlight.

* * *

vii. _  
_

The morning sun shines heavily as they walk along the pathway to her camp. Their hands are laced together, their grins set permanently since the festivities that just occurred a couple hours ago. Finn looks down at Rachel, smiling wider when he notices she's still wearing her night gown.

"I hope people won't notice," she mumbles, when she catches his wandering. She attempts to cover her clothing with the shaw, hiding all evidence of spending the night together. He nods towards the few women - Tina, Quinn and some other brunette - standing in the window of the cabin, their eyes widening when Finn comes into view.

"Your roommates might," he replies. Rachel blushes, pressing herself closer to him to bury her red face in his shoulder. He chuckles at her embarrassment. "Looks like you're coming home to some worried parents."

Rachel giggles. She steps up on one of the stairs leading up to her front door, and turns herself to face him. He's still standing on the ground, and they're about eye level now as she plays with his fingers. "Last night was . . . "

A shy smile slowly itches on Finn's face, mirroring Rachel's expression. They both laugh at the mutual thoughts, his heart racing a little at the memories of it. "Yeah," he agrees with a nod, his grin still painted on, "maybe we can do it again sometime." _Wow, that was totally lame._

She glares at him. "The date or . . . "

"Maybe both."

He sees the redness start to return to her skin, and she smiles at the ground. Her arms lock around his waist, and she pulls him closer to her despite the level barrier. A glint of excitement flashes in her eyes before she presses her lips to his, an addiction he just discovered two hours ago. "Okay," she whispers against his lips. She gives him another kiss, and then another one. And again.

"Rachel." They both turn to find Quinn standing in the doorway, her hand placed on the juncture of her hip. She looks at her, waiting for an explanation.

Rachel turns back to him. "I have to go, my mother awaits," she kisses him, swallowing his bubbling laughter. "I'll see you soon," and she presses her lips to his once more before pulling away from his embrace. She leaves then, her body swaying as she walks up the stairs.

He really needs to take a cold shower.

* * *

viii. _  
_

"So are you two together?"

Rachel looks up into the brown eyes of Santana, one of the nurse she shares the cabin with, and smiles sweetly. "I don't know," she says truthfully, "I mean, last night we . . ."

Tina gasps. "Rachel Barbara Berry, you did not!"

She looks up at the three girls surrounding her, shrugging guiltily. Ever since she walked through the door after her moon date with Finn, she's been bombarded with questions demanded to be answered. She sighs heavily. "He came to the door in the middle of the night and took me to the beach to watch the full moon like I've always wanted. It was sweet and romantic, and I just got lost in the feeling of it all." Her eyes sweep over the stunned faces of Quinn and Tina, though Santana is smirking proudly at her. "I don't regret any of it, though," she adds quickly.

"You've known him for what, a couple days? That's hardly enough time to go on acting like you're two committed souls," Quinn exclaims. She threads her hand through her blonde hair in frustration. Rachel shrugs mindlessly. "Just be careful what you do, Rachel, we just don't want you to get hurt."

Rachel nods, grinning in appreciation at Quinn as she walks out of the room. She breathes out longingly, turning back to Santana, who's leaning over on the couch, her eyes excited.

"So doll, tell me, was he any good?"

* * *

ix.

Finn beams as he approaches Puck in the lobby room of their building, his footsteps growing more confident in each step. He reaches him, clamping a hand on his shoulder. "Hudson," he greets, nodding towards him, "what you so chipper about? She gave you a kiss on the cheek?"

Finn's smile widened. "Something like that," he replies, breathing in the beautiful scent of air, _life. _Man, it was good to be him. Puck stares at him, realization slowly reaching his face. He narrows his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Really?"

* * *

x.

"One, two, three!"

Rachel screams, her hands coming up to stop Finn from pushing her into the ocean water. Her fingers curl around his broad chest as she fights to keep herself dry. "I can't do it," she tells him, and he chuckles, because she's Rachel Berry, what _can't _she do?

"Yes you can," he insists. He pushes her lightly towards the edge of the rock, hoping she won't notice. His hands come up to rest on top of her shoulders, brushing her skin with his thumb. "It's not that cold nor deep."

"Alright, but only if you go first."

Finn pauses. "Uhm," he looks over the water, blue and daring, and he'll never admit to her that he's not the biggest fan of the ocean. He stares back up at her with worried eyes. "How about we do it together?"

Rachel nods in agreement, smiling mischievously as she stretches on her toes to press her lips to his. He happily responds, not knowing what the sudden change in her actions was caused by. The kiss is fun, and different, and -

Once she knows he's distracted, she pushes him into the water.

* * *

xi.

Her soft hands run along the small of his back, his breathing speeding at the affection. Rachel presses herself closer into him, his body warmer than the blanket they're laying on. He continues to thread his hands through her hair, his fingers creating braids and knots with her loose strands.

"How is it possible to feel this comfortable around you."

He smiles at her question, and she tilts her head upwards to stare up at him. He leans down to press his lips softly to the tip of her nose. "My mother once told me she knew my father was the one for her the minute she saw him. They loved each other very much."

Her eyes are warm as she gazes sweetly at him, her hand reaching forward to brush against his cheek. She pulls herself up so her upper body is laying on top of his chest, her hair falling loosely around her frame. "Will you tell me about her? Your mother?"

"Well," he starts, running a slender finger down her bare arm, "she is a lot like you actually. Warm, and soft, and gentle. She tends the weak at our home, and she gets paid fairly well. It was her happiness, though, her glow, that I miss the most about her." And he does. He misses his mother a lot, and he hates how she's home alone, living her life with no help. He hates how life took away her companion.

It's silent for a couple of moments before she speaks. "Does she miss him?" Rachel asks, and he knows exactly what she's talking about. He trails his fingers along her skin, electricity running through each touch. She ruffles with his hair slightly.

"Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night because I would hear her talking to him, but I knew he wasn't there, that she just needs someone to talk to. I remember how much they made each other laugh, and smile, how much they adored each other. I miss him, I really do, but I know she's broken without him. He was apart of her."

It doesn't take long after he finishes for Rachel to softly press her lips to his, the motion swift and comfortable. The kiss is gentle, and he appreciates it, running his hands down the soft texture of her hair. She brings her body closer to his, and he takes advantage of it, rolling them on the sandy blanket so that she's laying on her back. Without breaking the kiss, he shifts so that he's leaning over her, his legs tangled between hers.

Finn breaks from her, his forehead falling against hers as they try to calm their rapid breathing. He feels her hand travel along his body, grabbing onto his and interlocking them. She spreads their hands together, her fingers playing with his in pure intimacy. His heart soars a little at her affection.

He turns his head so his lips are pressed against her neck, and he buries himself in her, peppering kisses along her skin. He feels her shudder underneath him as she tilts her head back to give him better access. He can almost breathe in her sweetness, her passion, and he doesn't want to let go.

"Finn?" she whispers, and he pulls back to look at her, their eyes held in a tender gaze. Her hand traces across his lips, and he kisses her fingers gently. She smiles a little.

"Their love sounded beautiful."

He nods, smiling at her attempted statements of comfort as he leans down to capture her lips in his once more.

They stay out a little while longer.

* * *

xii.

Rachel's smile is electric as she walks into her nurse building. She shivers out of her sweater and hangs it up in the closet, walking along the floor to finally go to bed after an eventful day. She tiptoes quietly, making sure not to wake up any of her roommates as she makes her way into her room which she shares with Quinn. Discarding her dress, she slipped into the covers of her mattress in her under garments, her eyes swiftly closing.

She thought everything went well, until she heard Quinn's voice fill the darkness of the room.

"Were you out with him again?" she asks, and Rachel doesn't think she was ever asleep because her tone is alive and alert. Rachel's eyes snap open, and she looks at Quinn guiltily, confirming her suspicion.

Quinn sighs heavily. "Rachel," she whispers, her voice sympathetic, "you have to realize why Finn is here in Pearl Harbor, what he's training for. It won't be like this when America joins the war, you know that. You have to protect your heart."

Rachel says nothing, analyzing her statement in her head. She rips the bed sheets from her body, and sits up in the mattress. Her eyes meet Quinn's, and she see's understanding. "I know the reality of our relationship. I know I'm being reckless, dating an Officer Cadet, but he makes me so _happy, _Quinn. He makes me feel like I'm about to burn into ashes at any second, and he gives me this - this _thrill _ that no one has ever given me. I don't want to ruin what we have because of fear of the future."

Her hand trails over her lips, a feature that Finn just kissed a couple minutes ago on the doorstep. She smiles to herself, her mind lost in the memory of him. All she wants to do is run away with him, far from the war, and the possibility of him joining it. She wants to be with him with no complications, just the two of them, just love.

"I understand," Quinn replies after a couple of silent moments, "I mean, I think I might be feeling something for Puck despite the fact he has no capacity for well manners." She smiles when Rachel lets out a giggle. "I should be disgusted, but it kind of attracts me to him."

Rachel laughs again. "I'm sure he's a sweet man when he wants to be."

Quinn nods repeatedly. She props herself on her elbow, her eyes squinting into the darkness of their room to get a better look of her. "I'll tell you what, Rachel, have your fun now, but just . . . try not to fall in love with him, okay? It would ruin you."

Rachel agrees, although she knows she's already falling for Captain Finn Hudson.

* * *

xiii.

Finn quickens his step as he arrives at the airfield in the early morning. His eyebrow arches in confusion when he notices a large crowd of pilots surrounding a table in the middle of the tent. His eyes search for any evidence of what's going on, stopping only when he see's Sam on the outside of the crowd. He stalks over to him, pulling him cautiously to the side.

"Sam, what's going on?" he asks anxiously. Sam shrugs as he raises his hand to point at the men behind them. "They're listening to the radio," he explains, "I can't hear a thing. Heard it's just rumors though."

Finn nods, patting Sam's shoulder before he steps towards the crowd. He stretches his arms, fighting his way through the attached people as he pushes them to the side. "Excuse me," he growls, stumbling along the tightness. He hisses when he feels someone step on his foot, and before he has time to react, he hears his name being called,

"Finn!"

He looks up, spotting Puck's face at the front of the crowd. He sighs in relief and pushes his way towards him, grabbing his outstretched hand to pull him through the last couple of rows. He looks at Puck for answers. "What the hell is this about?" he mumbles, staring around the angry crowd circling them. Puck puts a finger to his lips, nodding his head toward the radio.

"_When is America going to realize that the world is at war,_" the broadcaster exclaims through the cackles of the radio speaker, "_Men are dyeing out there, leaving their wives, children, mothers, family. And the States are doing nothing to help. The only way they'll notice they must do something is if they get pulled into the war by another country, if they retaliate. If they want revenge. But in order for them to want revenge, something awful will have to happen to them. But what?"_

Finn shakes his head in disbelief, he knows what this means.

They're going to start picking men to fight in Europe.

* * *

xiii.

_"_Are you scared Finn?"

He looks down at his chest, where Rachel's head is laying on his exposed skin. The afternoon sun is beading down on them on where they lay in the sand, their toes getting covered in the waves. He curls his finger around her chin, picking her face up to look at him. "Scared of what, darling?" he coos softly.

Rachel shifts so she's laying on top of him, her eyes gazing down at his. "Of the war, when America decides to join. It's no use avoiding the topic, no matter how much we want to pretend that everything is alright." And she's right, they have been ignoring the subject. Sure, they can forget about it for a while, until the day Roosevelt declares war on Germany.

"America won't join, not yet. You have nothing to worry about." He doesn't want to think about it, he just wants to live in this little bubble where only Finn and Rachel exist. He leans up to press a kiss to her nose, and she frowns slightly.

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

Finn grabs her face in his hand, his fingers lacing in her hair. He stares fiercely in her eyes as he pulls her closer. "Rachel, I _know_ that everything is going to be okay. Canada is doing a well enough job to defend both our countries, and maybe the war will end before we even have a chance to join. Okay?"

It's queit for a while, nothing but the sound of the waves crashing and the slight wind that rolls by. His fingers create braids in her hair as she stays perked on his chest, her eyes never leaving his. "Remember when you told me you wouldn't break my heart," she whispers, their gaze set. Finn can only nod. "I know you can't promise me, but please try not to."

A pinch of pain strikes his heart at her words, and all he can do is nod his head, bringing her face close to kiss her forehead.

* * *

xiv.

"Check the rounds!" Finn exclaims to the pilots at their planes. He swirls his finger in the air, hinting for them what to do. He turns to Puck and Sam, who are climbing down the ladders of the plane.

Puck narrows his eyebrows at him as he hits the ground. "Mike's lucky he works on a ship, don't have to deal with Mr. Hudson in charge," he mumbles like a bad student caught in action by their teacher. Finn smiles devilishly, though before he can respond, someone else is already calling his name.

"Captain Hudson!"

He turns, his eyes widening at the sight of Lieutenant Colonel Schuester striding towards them in his full uniform. His chin is straightened professionally, and he already knows what he's going to tell him before he says it. Schuester raises his hand, curling them to gesture Finn coming forward. Finn breathess heavily, walking up to meet him.

"Good evening Lieutenant," he greets, gripping the man's hand in a firm grip. He nods at him, and Finn just waits for him to say it, for him and come out and tell him what he's here for.

Schuester sighs before beginning. "England's eagle squad asked for volunteers, and I promised I would ask my best pilots. And one of my best pilots would be you, Captain Hudson."

Finn stares at him, completely silent and confused. He should go, that's all he's been thinking about since he arrived at the naval base two years ago. He used to imagine himself shooting off Nazi's, but now, only one image, one _girl _comes to mind. A girl who's heart he's trying not to break.

And going to England, going to fight in the war, is a death mission. He knows that, Rachel knows that, whole God damn America knows that. His heart screams at him to stay, to not go looking for trouble. So, all he can say is,

"I'll think about it."

* * *

xv.

It's been a week since Schuester's proposition, and he decided not to think about it, especially when Rachel is snuggling in his lap in her red and white striped bathing suit. All thoughts of the Eagle Squad flee his mind as he stares down at her, smiling widely. That's all he's going think about, spending a nice day at the beach with his friends, that's all.

"I think Noah finally softened Quinn up," Rachel tells him, gesturing to where the two of them are embracing in the water. He chuckles lightly. "He must have really been charming.

Finn snorts. "Puck doesn't know the definition of charming without sexual relations," he says, and Rachel breaks into a fit of giggles. Her body vibrates against his, and it sends a jolt of pleasure down his back. He looks over to where Mike and Tina are kissing in the water, and he has to roll his eyes, because they do that everywhere they go.

"Well," Rachel slithers, perking in his lap to stare up at him, "sexual relations aren't so bad right?" Her head tilts towards his, their lips barely touching as she speaks. He wiggles his eyebrows. "Nope," he replies, before diving forward.

They're mouths mesh playfully, and he nips lightly at her bottom lip, making her giggle. Her hands roam the exposed skin of his chest and the kiss is flirty and fun and he's about to allow his tongue in -

"Hey! Would you two stop trying to get domestic and come in the water!"

Their lips still at Puck's voice, and when Rachel smiles against his mouth, he can feel her teeth. He turns slightly to give Puck the finger, annoyed at him for ruining their session. "Come on," Rachel whispers against him, "let's go in the water, we've got plenty of time for that later."

His eyes widen when she says that, and he really wonders, _do they have time left to do that?_

Finn enters the water, and he breaks his rule when he starts to think.

* * *

xvi.

They're in their room, just the two of them, when he asks. "Last week when Schuester came to talk to you, he asked you to join the Eagle Squad didn't he?" Puck questions, though it's more of a statement, because Puck already knows the answer. Finn only nods his head. "Are you going to?"

Finn shrugs, not saying a word. He continues to stare at the blank wall in front of them like he's been doing for an hour straight, thinking, not doing anything but thinking. Thinking about dyeing, about fighting, about _her_. God damn it, why did she have to be so damn beautiful and amazing, and everything that he wants in someone. Why did she come into his life, why did she accept his possible future?

"I know why you can't decide to go," Puck tells him, his eyes set on Finn's face. "You love her."

Finn laughs. "Who? Rachel? I've known her for five weeks, I couldn't, it's impossible. Even with her - her amazing smile, and her . . . dazzling personality . . . "

Shit . . .

He's in love with Rachel Berry.

After five weeks of spending time with her, he's somehow managed to fall incredibly and passionately in love with her. Her eyes, her voice, her smile, her lips, her kindness and caring personality, he loved everything about her. The way she puts everything into a kiss, the way she giggles whenever he says something silly. He loves her, he really, genuinely loves her. He knew it was going to happen at some point, but not like this, not when he was thinking about joining the war.

He can see Puck's knowing smirk across from him, and for once, it doesn't bother him. He shakes his head in bewilderment at the new realization. "I do," he mumbles, and if anything, it makes this whole situation much worse. "Before, I would jump at the chance to fight, but now, I just don't want to leave her."

Puck nods in understanding, and Finn still can't believe what's happening.

He's in love with Rachel. When did that happen?

* * *

xvii.

It's been a couple of days, since his discovery of this crazy, little thing called love as he and Rachel walk hand-in-hand along the beach. He decided not to tell her, that he loves her, because he still has no idea what he's going to do with the Eagle Squad. Her hand squeezes his, and he looks down at her, pulling himself from his thoughts.

"Are you alright?" she asks, her voice so soft and welcoming it makes the decision that much harder. He tries to smile at her, but it's not genuine, it doesn't reach his eyes. "I'm perfect," he lies, brushing her knuckles with his thumb, "just tired. We had a late practice last night flying the planes."

Rachel nods in understanding. "Last night, Tina and I spent hours trying to comfort a nurse who moved here from England. She received a letter stating that her brother got killed in action a week ago in France." Her voice trembles, and he can tell she's trying to hold herself together. Her eyes squint in sadness, and she's trying not to cry, trying not to show weakness. "She was so heart broken Finn, so sad and . . ."

"Hey, hey," Finn soothes when he see's the first tear leak down her cheeks. He stops walking and stands in front of her, holding her close as he wipes the wetness from her eyes. She cries softly when they're skin makes contact, as if she feels safe enough to cry in his arms. He doesn't know if he should be happy or sad at the comfort she finds in him.

He picks her head up. "Tell me what's really bothering you sweetheart."

Her lips quiver slightly, and she sniffles, trying to clear herself. Wiping away the extra tears, she pulls him closer to her. Her hands curl around his shirt tightly like a life support. "This war needs to end," she whimpers, her eyes downcast, "there are so many people with wives, and children in Europe, so many people that are dyeing. Those soldiers, those husbands and father and brothers and sons fighting in the trenches, they need to survive more than any of us Finn. They need our help."

Finn physically feels his heart shatter as she continues to sob. She's right, and he knows that. If anyone deserves a future full of love and opportunities, it's not just Europe, it's Rachel too. She deserves to be anything she wants, anywhere she wants, and he'll do everything he can to make that happen.

He knows what he has to do.

* * *

xviii.

He stalks into Schuester's office, his footsteps loud and urgent as he walks up to his desk.

"Hudson," he greets, his hands folded in front of him. He stares at him with fiery eyes, the phone already prepared beside him. "Have you made your decision?"

Finn nods anxiously. "I need to protect my people here," he needs to protect _Rachel. _Puck, and his mother. There's no other alternative. "Tell them I'll join their team, and I'll start whenever they need me."

"I'll call now, and I'll let you know when you leave by tomorrow." Finn nods his head and leaves the office.

He really hopes he did the right thing.

* * *

xix.

Rachel rips the sheets from her body, jumping off of the bed in a hurry. Her hand clamped over her mouth, she runs past Quinn, bolting for the bathroom across from her. She steps in, quickly shutting the door behind her. Throwing herself to the floor, she opens the toilet seat, bending her head over it.

And that's when she starts to puke.

"Rachel?" Quinn knocks softly on the door, her voice laced with worry, "Rachel, are you okay?"

Before she can respond, another round pours from her mouth, and she doubles over the toilet. She clutches her stomach tiredly, her fingers rubbing against a sore spot in her belly. It doesn't take long for another set of sickness to bore out.

The door of the bathroom opens slowly, and she can hear Quinn's footsteps walk along the tiles. Her fingers lace through her hair, holding it up in a pony tail to stay away from her face. "Oh dear," she gasps when she see's the evidence. She rubs her back in soothing circles in an attempt to comfort her.

It takes a couple of more minutes for it to stop, her forehead pressing against the white surface. Quinn brings her hand to her clammy skin, feeling for any signs of sickness. "You seem fine," she whispers, checking her pulse, "could be food poisoning."

Rachel nods her head, but she can't think of anything else because she starts to hurl over the toilet again.

* * *

xx.

He stares at the blank expressions of Mike and Puck, their mouths set in a frown of fear. Rubbing his hands together, Finn looks away from them, not being able to take their faces full of pain. He dreads the moment he has to tell Rachel.

"You joined the army?" Mike exclaims, his loud booming in their shared room, "how could you do this? Especially to Rachel?"

"I did this _for _Rachel, Mike. She needs a future where she can live whatever life she wants. Even if its without me. I just want her to be happy," he explains. He winces slightly when Mike scoffs at him, waving off his defending comment. "I don't think one American pilot is going to end the war."

It's tense for a couple of moments, nothing but drifting stares and fumbling hands. He understands Mike's anger, but it doesn't mean he accepts it. He sighs out heavily, and for the tenth time in two days, he questions if he made the right decision. Puck shifts on the cot as he rubs his hand against his forehead. "When do you leave?"

Before he can answer, there's a knock on their door. Finn looks to their roommates, and when they shrug in unison he gets up from one of the cots to check. His hands are clammy, his knees shaking because this could be it, the moment he finds out when he's leaving Pearl Harbor. It could be two, there, four months, though he knows none of them will be long enough for him and Rachel to be together.

He needs her forever.

But he's being selfless, or at least trying to be, and setting her free. She's going to have a wonder life, and husband, and children -

"Good evening Captain Hudson," the messenger greets. And then he hands it to him, a nicely folded letter with his name written on it. He takes a deep breath, and as the messenger leaves, he opens it for him to see.

Finn's eyes scan across pointless writing of uniform policy and procedures, searching for the date when he'll be shipped. He finds it at the bottom.

His heart practically stops.

He needs to see her _now._

* * *

xxi.

It's late and cold when he pounds on her door, his hands trembling with the need to touch her, feel her. His heart hammers painfully inside his chest as the words flash in his mind repeatedly. One week. One week till he goes to England. One week left of Rachel, and everything beautiful that surrounds her.

She answers on the third knock, her eyes bright with concern.

"Finn, what are you - "

He kisses her.

He launches forward, grabbing her face between his hands as he crashes his lips to hers. For a moment she stands till, surprised, and then her lips begin to move against his. He nips at her, and she opens her mouth under his, allowing his tongue entrance. It's silent except for the soft mews of their kisses, and he craves more, his hands trailing along the soft material of her nightgown to grip her waist.

Rachel whimpers as he pulls her close enough to guide her into the house, their bodies tumbling inside. He kicks the door closed behind them and turns them so she's pressed up against the door, a low moan escaping from deep within her throat.

Finn breaks apart, his forehead leaning against hers as they struggle to catch their breath. Panting heavily, he grazes her cheeks with his fingertips, trying to remember the feeling and touch of her. "Finn," she breathes, so much in that one word. He leans forward despite the fact they're already so close, dropping gentle kisses along her face.

"I need you."

She nods, as if she understands, and he loves her even more for that. God, if he didn't love her this would be so much easier, so much easier to leave her. Her hands slip under his shirt, smoothing against her abs. "The girls have a shift at the hospital, they won't be back till morning. We can use my bedroom."

He can't even answer, because he's just so desperate to feel her lips against hers as he pulls her back in. His arms lock around her thighs, and he bends forward to pick her up in his arms. Her legs wrap around his waist, as he tears away from her mouth to pepper kisses across the skin of her throat. They bump into a couple of walls before finding their way into her bedroom, and he lowers her onto the mattress, standing above her at the edge of the bed.

He strips his shirt off in one fluid moment, and places her hands at her feet. Crawling on top of her, he leans forward to press his mouth to her legs, kissing his way up on her body. He finishes his quest with a kiss to her lips, soft and warm, just like her. His arms create a barricade around them, and for a moment, he pretends that they're the only ones on the planet, as simple as that.

Her hand comes up to cup his cheek, rubbing his skin with her thumb. Their eyes stay connected, and he can't help but feel guilty staring into them. He told her he'd try not to break her heart, she'll hate him. And that's why he's not going to tell her yet, not for a while, that he's leaving December seventh. He can't spend the last fews days of his freedom apart from her.

The clock is slowly ticking in the background, reminding Finn of the limited time they have left. He wastes no time as he captures her lips once more, making love in the moonlight, just like the first time.

* * *

xxii.

His eyes flutter open when he feels the sun bore into his bare back, the heat radiating off his skin. He breathes in heavily, feeling a body nuzzle closer into his side. He smiles a little.

Rachel.

Finn gazes at her, still asleep beside him. He reaches forward to feel her face, his fingers trying to memorize every feature. He wishes he can freeze this moment, make time stop in this one day where he and Rachel can just lay here forever.

But they don't have forever, they have one week.

"Finn?" she croaks, her voice hoarse and dry. Her eyes slowly open, blinking a few times to fully wake herself up. She smiles, big and wide, when she realizes that Finn is still beside her, his arms still embracing her. "Good morning," she whispers, pressing a sweet kiss to his cheek.

He grins. "Hello beautiful," he greets, chuckling when she winks at her. Her hands remove his arms from her body, giving her space as she climbs on top of him, their bare chests pressing together. She leans forward, attaching their mouths in a morning bliss. He smirks against her lips, his fingers threading through her tangled hair. Her hands start to trail along the naked skin of his body, but he stops her, their fantasy ending.

"I would love to do this all day doll, but I need to be at the airfield in twenty minutes," he mumbles against her sweet kisses. She whimpers in disapproval, burying her face in the nape of his neck. She places her lips once to the skin there before rolling off of him, clutching the bed sheets tightly to her body.

Finn sighs heavily, sitting up on the mattress. He watches as Rachel walks to her closet, stripping the sheet off to pull on a small dress robe. She turns back around, collecting his clothes scattered on the floor as she returns to him. "We should be more organized next time," she tells him, and he can't help himself when he lets out a rusty laugh.

"That wasn't exactly my priority at the time," he replies, grinning smugly when a warm blush covers her cheeks. She leans forward, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. He smiles under her, standing up to change into his uniform. He knows he should be moving faster since it's about a ten minute walk to the airfield, but that would mean spending less time with Rachel, and that's not an option.

Rachel leans into him when he finishes, and his arms move on his own accord to lock around her waist. She perks her chin on his chest, staring up at him through hooded eyes. "Hurry back to me," she whispers, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks. He reaches forward, his fingers grazing her skin, memorizing each touch.

"Always."

They both lean towards each other, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. His hand curls around her face, cupping her cheek in desperation of closeness. Their foreheads glue together, their bodies so attached not even a feather can pass through. Her lips open under his, inviting his tongue in, and he thinks the sensation will always be this overwhelming. Sighing in pleasure, she ruffles her fingers through his his hair, the action so heavenly he thinks he can fly.

Finn reluctantly pulls away, whispering a low goodbye before pressing one more kiss to her forehead. He reaches for the door, opening it and walking through, and when Rachel thinks she's alone, Quinn comes in, her expression angry.

She crosses her arms across her chest. "Tina and Santana are already in bed, but apparently mine has been occupied. Care to explain?" she demands, her eyebrows raised. Rachel says nothing, her eyes still remaining on the spot where Finn just stood. She touches her lips with her fingers, a small smile graxing her features.

Quinn's mood suddenly shifts, her face confused. "Rachel?" she repeats.

"I think we have a problem Quinn," she tells her, her eyes soft and warm at the new realization. She thinks she's known it for a while, ever since that one night on the beach, his hands always gentle on her skin, his kisses always passionate and loving. She can't get enough of him.

"I fell in love with him."

* * *

xxiii.

"So you're leaving December 7th?"

Finn nods, his eyes downcast as he stares ahead, watching the ocean water. Mike sighs heavily beside him, his lips set in a frown at the new information. He plays with the sand surrounding him, his fingers running through the silky texture. "That's only four days," he says, and it hurts Finn to hear that, to realize how soon he's leaving, leaving Rachel and all his friends.

"I know," he croaks out, "but I have to do what I can to protect this country."

Mike twists towards him, still dressed in his navy uniform. He looks at him with sympathy. "What about Rachel? What do you think she'll do when you tell her?" he asks. The wind bristles by them, the early December air only breezing.

Though when Finn shivers, he doesn't think it's because of the cold. "I love her, Mike, more than anything. I want everything with her, but we both knew what we were going into when we started the relationship. We just got caught up in the passion, and our time together, and we forgot about reality." He turns to look at Mike. "You can't tell Puck though, not yet. But I need to ask you for a favor."

Mike nods in bewilderment, his moves jerky and nervous. He stares at him in desperation, and he knows that Mike will do anything to help. Running a hand through his hair, Finn closes his eyes, his thoughts too strong to contain. He wishes it didn't come to this, he always dreaded having this conversation, asking for something like this.

"I want you to take care of her, Mike, when I'm not there to do it. Make sure you don't leave her alone."

Mike gulps in understanding, and it breaks Finn to know that there really is a possibility of him not coming back. Coming home, to Rachel.

* * *

xxiv.

He never thought time could go by this fast.

It feels like yesterday, when he first saw Rachel at the train station, her brown eyes wide with beauty. The way she looked at him, the way she smiled at him, it all made his stomach do flips.

Seeing her now, her laugh bubbling as she talks to Quinn, Puck and Tina from across the bar, it's so different. She doesn't look at him, she _gazes_ at him so tenderly it feels like he could break under her contact. And, instead of smiling, she _beams _at him, like he's the best thing she's ever seen. He should love it, and he used to, but he doesn't anymore because he's fucking leaving tomorrow morning and now it just hurts to see her so happy with him.

And he's so happy with her, it makes it so difficult to leave tomorrow. He knows he's been selfish, not telling her about the Eagle Squad so their limited time together wouldn't be so stressful, but he loves her, and he wants his last few moments with her to be as passionate and loving as possible.

"Finn?"

He looks down into the brown depths of Rachel, her eyebrow arched in confusion. She rubs her hands down his arms repeatedly in an attempt to warm him comfortingly. "Are you alright?" she asks, and it takes everything in him to lie, tell her everything is fine, _perfect_ even.

"I'm perfect." He fiddles with her hair a little, and his eyes slowly leave her face to meet Puck's glare, his expression demanding an explanation. He sighs heavily, and he knows they've been avoiding each other all week so they didn't have to have this conversation. But they can't do that anymore, he'll be gone by morning. "Puck and I are going to step out for a while okay? We'll be right back." He leans forward, pressing a sweet kiss to her cheek, his lips tickling at her ear, "don't have too much fun without me."

Rachel giggles a little, stepping closer to Quinn and Tina in the crowded bar as Puck nods in agreement. His eyes are cold and fierce, something he hasn't seen in all of the years he's known him. Finn tilts his head towards the exit doors, swaying through the crowd of people in their way. The air is cool as they step outside, and he shivers a little as they walk to a quiet spot, their feet pressing against the sand.

"I know you're leaving soon, I can tell by the way you look at her," Puck murmurs, his eyes drifting towards the night sky above him. He shoves his hands roughly in his pockets, trying to avoid any contact with him. "How long do you have? A couple days? A week - "

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

Puck snaps towards him, his eyes wild with panic. He swallows thickly, trying to cover the lump forming in his throat, but Finn can tell he's just trying to hold himself together. "What?" he stammers, his voice so low he can barely hear him. Finn sighs heavily, rocking on the balls of his feet to distract himself, because he didn't think it would be this hard.

"A plane is bringing me and a few other men to England at eight in the morning. My bags are already packed, I'm prepared to leave, I just need to say a couple goodbyes before that time comes," he lets out a strangled breath he didn't he was holding and walks closer to Puck, who's shuddering slightly. Slapping a hand on his shoulder, he continues, "You were the best friend I could ever ask for, Puck. And although you may think you can't be tied down, I know you'll treat Quinn right, and I know how happy you'll make each other. I'm sorry I won't be here to see that."

Puck shakes his head in bewilderment. He blinks repeatedly, trying to rid himself of the tears threatening to fall. "You need to come back Hudson," he tells him, his voice shaking slightly, "you have to come home."

Finn nods in understanding, but before he can say anything, Puck reaches up, his muscles wrapping around his shoulders tightly. Finn shakes, and brings his hand up to slap against his back, trying his best to comfort the strongest man he knows. Suddenly, a pair of flaps catch his attention, and he knows who it is the moment he hears them. He can feel Puck's eyes widen, realization hitting him also, and they separate from each other.

She appears before them a couple seconds later.

"You two must be mad," Rachel chitters, rubbing her arms to create a heat of friction. She skips towards the two men, her frilly dress bouncing along with her in all her happiness. "It's absolutely freezing out here." She wraps her arms around Finn's waist, and he watches as Puck turns away, wiping away the tears escaping his eyes.

Finn gulps, pressing Rachel closer into his side as she looks on in confusion. She watches with concern as Puck turns back, his eyes swollen. Their eyes meet, and Finn sends a cautious glare, warning him of what he needs to do. Puck nods and hugs Finn once more, and leans forward, pressing a reassuring kiss to Rachel's cheek. She touches her skin as he walks away.

"He doesn't look good," she observes, breaking the momentary silence between the two. She feels Finn shrug around her, his arms tightening around her frame. He caresses her face with his hand, his fingers rubbing along her lips. He stares at her, and he knows what he has to do, he knows that he has to tell her now. This is the moment he's dreaded the most.

He pulls away to link her hand with his. "Come on, let's go back to your place. We have to talk."

* * *

xxv.

His palms are sweaty by the time they enter her shared room, their limited time left ticking away in the back of his head. He looks at her, standing in front of him in all her love and glow, her silhouette shinning in the moonlight. She walks towards him, her hands outstretched to cover his, and her expression is worn with concern.

"Something's wrong," she whispers. Her eyes pierce into his as he squeezes her fingers, finding the comfort in her to continue. He watches as she gulps harshly as she desperately waits for an explanation. "Finn?"

_Say it._

"I'm leaving for England tomorrow."

Her eyes widen, the brown depths he loves so much controlled by panic. He can tell she hasn't processed it yet, she's too shocked with disbelief to really understand what's happening. "What do you mean?" she mumbles, confirming his observation. He lets out a choked sigh, their eyes never leaving each other's as he speaks, "About three weeks ago, Schuester told me he chose me and a few other men to fight with the Eagle Squad back in England. I-I accepted the position a week ago - "

Finn stops short when realization creeps up on Rachel and he sees her face crumple before him. She stares up at him in fear, and he wants to take away the glint of despair in her eyes. Her lips quiver, and she hovers her hand above her mouth, tears gathering in her swollen red eyes.

"This isn't happening," she whispers, turning away from him. She stumbles, her hand placed over her stomach as she paces back and forth. "Please tell me this isn't real."

Finn walks towards her. "Rachel, I - "

He should have seen this coming.

She whips to face him, her face streamed with tears as she raises her arm. He feels it before it happens, her hand harshly making contact with his cheek, the force so powerful his head snaps to the side. His eyes close with defeat, and he wishes he could lie to her, tell her that it _isn't _happening.

But it is, and he's being a coward by hiding from it. He opens his eyes, and she's staring at him, probably shocked by her own actions. She snaps away from him, her footsteps harsh and angry as she walks over to her bed. She sits herself down on the mattress, her hand resting over her accelerating heart. Another cry bubbles at her lips, and she covers her mouth to keep from showing weakness.

Finn breathes out, his eyes analyzing her vulnerable form. He has to be strong, not for his benefit, for Rachel, for his love. He follows her to the bed, positioning himself closely to her without sharing any contact. Her gaze drifts towards his lap at the sudden dip in the mattress, her eyes full of hurt and pain.

He has to make this right.

"I didn't want to leave, not at first," he begins, and he waits a couple beats for her to give her input. He takes it as a good sign when she stays quiet yet crying beside him. "My mind was made up the day you told me about Brittany's brother, and I knew I had to make a difference, make a better future for you and you're children - "

Her eyes flash to his in a panic. "_Our _children," she whispers, her voice so low and shielding. He sighs heavily, gripping her fingers tightly in his. "Rachel," he breathes.

She shakes his head before he can even start. "No, I," she shifts on the mattress, facing herself to him. Tears leak from her eyes, too many to get rid of, and the torn glint in her eyes is indescribable. She looks broken, scared, and it shouldn't be this hard on her. Her lips quiver slightly, and she has to force the words out, the statement too hard to say aloud,

"I'm pregnant."

So this is what it feels like to have your world fall down around you.

It's a hard task, willing yourself not to cry when you're so close to doing so. His eyes burn with acid, the need to allow the tears to fall stronger than he could ever imagine. His mouth gapes open, and this is impossible. A baby. A baby? He analyzes Rachel, so small and tiny, though carrying a _human _in there. This isn't possible, she can't be pregnant.

But she is. And he's leaving her, not alone, but their fucking child. What kind of man is that? He joined the war wanting her to have a peaceful life with a sweetheart and son, and that could have been him, but he's such an idiot to ruin it. He ruined _everything. _He should have never tried to fix something that wasn't broken.

"I found out a couple days ago," she cries, and it's the worst sound in the world. Her hands clutch at his face, thumbs rubbing cheeks. "I was going to tell you tonight, I thought we would happy . . . "

Finn looks up at her swollen eyes. "I'm coming back."

"Finn - "

"I will. That's a promise, Rachel. A promise that I will come home, to you and our child, and we can be a family. And do you know why? You want to know why I will fight so hard to come back to you?" His voice is quiet and uneasy, still trying not to let his true and weak emotions out. Her eyes are red with heartbreak as she nods her head. He pulls her close, cupping her face in his hands as he breathes the words he's been feeling for months. "Because I absolutely, completely love you Rachel Berry."

Her lips tremble, almost bubbling, as she leans her forehead against his. He brushes away her tears with his fingertips, but it's not enough, there's too many. "I love you too, Finn, so much." And the words should make his heart soar, because he's been wanting to hear them for weeks, but instead he feels despair, and everything bad that comes with it. She locks their eyes together, repeating the words they spoke to each other a couple days ago. "Hurry back to me," she whispers.

"Always."

He tightens her face in his hands and pulls her towards him, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. She whimpers slightly into his mouth, clutching him like a lifeline as they share these last few moments. It's full of passion and wet, tears mixing with their mouths messily. Her palms gently cradle his face as her tongue probes at the opening of his mouth, asking for entrance. He accepts, and the heat of the kiss grows when she moans slightly at the new contact. Her fingers weave through her hair, feeling her frame shudder against him as he wanders her body.

"Finn," she breathes, so much feeling in that one name. He breaks away from her, their eyes locking in a gaze full of understanding and want and love and passion. Her face is still stained with tears, and he knows that they won't be able to stop unless he comes back, alive. Without breaking contact, he lowers her gently on the mattress below them. She presses her body onto it, awaiting the comfort of him.

He crawls on top of her, appreciating this moment as he positions himself between her legs. His arms create a protective cage around her, his lips dropping down to press against her forehead, her cheek, her nose, her chin, almost every spot on her loving face. Her eyes close swiftly as he continues the light movements, so simple and fragile like it could shatter at any moment, so different from reality.

Finn savors each feel, pulling her arm above her head and linking their fingers together. His other hand trails along her thighs, going upward until he feels the elastic band of her panties. He slips them from her legs, wanting her so desperately he doesn't care about anything else.

He leans his forehead against hers, watching as her fingers slide between their two bodies, working on the zipper of his pants. Helps her, both of them fighting to get it undone, and when they do, she slides them down just enough to free his member. Leaning forward, he positions himself at her entrance, not giving a damn that they're both covered in clothes but just needing the feel of her.

Finn looks up at her with hooded eyes, and when she nods gently, he pushes himself into her, both of them gasping at the new contact.

She kisses him, her lips desperate for time as she holds him close. He continues to thrust into her, each movement creating a whimper from Rachel. He can feel her quiver against him, sobs bubbling throughout her body electrically. She pulls away abruptly, her eyes squeezed shut as tears continue to leak down her cheeks. He leans forward, capturing them with his lips, but it's not enough.

"Come back for us," she mumbles, followed by a drawn out moan. He hides his face in the juncture between her neck and shoulder, his actions jerky and desperate as he pounds into her. His grunts are muffled by her skin, and they're both so close he can almost feel her release.

He cherishes everything, each sigh of his name, each moan of pleasure. He continues to thrust into her until her walls are clenching around him. She clutches onto him as she rides out of her orgasm, and a couple seconds later, they spill into each other. He collapses on top of her, arms barely holding him up, his face still buried at the crook of her neck.

And then it starts to really sink in.

He's going to the war tomorrow, not only leaving behind Rachel, but a _child _also. A child that will grow up years without a father, maybe even his whole life. He's going to miss everything, first steps, first words, first laugh. The worst part is that he won't be there for Rachel, when she's pregnant, or when she's giving birth, she'll be alone.

And God he just loves her _so much. _More than anything, more than anyone, and he wants to be happy for them, that they're having a baby together. But he can't stop thinking about the possibility of not coming home . . .

He promised her, but just like his promise to not break her heart, promises could be broken.

He doesn't realize he's crying until Rachel's fingers soothe against his cheek, wiping away the tears falling from his eyes. Her breathing is still ragged in the afterglow of their lovemaking, and he turns his face upwards to look at her. Cheeks pink, and eyes swollen, she stares at him in confusion.

"Don't cry love," she hums. He shakes his head, removing himself from her and laying down beside her on the mattress. He holds her close, hands cradling her face as he gazes at her. "I know you don't want to hear this, and I know what I've promised, but I need to say this."

"I can't - "

"If I don't come back," he croaks out, and he doesn't even care about the tears coming down from both their faces, he needs to continue, "you have to live your life so happily okay? You have to find someone who will love you and cherish you in all the ways that I couldn't. You know that I love you Rachel, you that I will fight for you and our child but sometimes the universe isn't so giving. I could be gone at any moment out there, any day, and you have to let me go."

Rachel shakes her head, she can't hear this, she doesn't want to. "Finn, please - "

"Until I come back, Rachel, you're going to let me go alright? And if we're meant to be together, then I'll come back for you, for the both of you, and we'll be a family okay? We're going to surrender, right here and now, and pray that we'll get through this."

She sobs, like, really, _cries_. Her eyes are red and bloodshot as she intertwines their hands together. He looks at her, really looks at her for the first time, her brown hair curling around her olive skin. The brown depths he fell in love with. Or the small band of her waist. All of them are apart of her, apart of Rachel, the only woman he ever loved.

"I love you so much," she mumbles throughout her tears.

He kisses her desperately, swallowing her sobs in one simple action.

"I'll love you forever."

* * *

xxvi.

He wakes up at seven in the morning on December 7th of 1941.

His body is aching as he stares at Rachel's sleeping form through the bed sheets, her chest rising slightly with each breath she takes. He gulps down the growing lump in his throat, and wills himself not to cry as he leans forward, pressing one final kiss to her lips, her forehead, her cheeks.

"I love you," he whispers, and he knows she'll sleeping but he needs to say it anyways. His hands cover the base of her stomach, and he caresses it, her skin the only barrier from him touching their child. "You too baby."

Walking out on them, on Rachel and their unborn kid, it's the hardest thing he's ever had to do. So he makes it short, quickly getting up from the mattress with tears threatening to escape. He has to get out of here, before he convinces himself to stay, so he barely remembers it all as he races through the building of her nursing camp.

He can't look back, not now when he's preparing to kill and destroy any damn Nazi's that are in the way of him and his family. He will fight, _murder_, to get back to them, anything he can he will do, to come back home and love them forever.

His feet are burning with anxiety as he continues to walk towards his building, having to grab his suitcase before making his way to the plane prepared to take him to England. He wants to just get it over with, these next few years, he just wants Rachel and the baby and that's all he cares about.

A loud soaring sound interrupts his thoughts, and he looks up, distracted. The sky is clear, blue, though there's a squad of planes coming towards the island, a couple, maybe hundreds. They're flying low and determined, and why is the military practicing so early in the morning?

The planes are bulky and different and -

His heart stops when he notices the Japanese flag.

And then they release the first bomb into the water.

* * *

_And that's the first part of this story! If you've guessed already, the second part will be based on the attack of Pearl Harbor, and the lives it destroyed on that fateful morning. Hope you enjoyed the love story part though! I love me some Finchel angst!_

_Question: Do you think Finn and Rachel will survive the attack? If so, who do you think will be killed?_

_Stay tuned for the second part! Which I will hopefully put up before school starts and I will try:) Please READ AND REVIEW, it makes me so happy when I see a review I get so excited:D_

_Love you, have a great summer and keep checking for an update!_


	2. Part 2 The Battle

**UPDATE UPDATE: I was wondering if you guys wanted a one shot series of Finn and Rachel after Pearl Harbor, with him writing letters and all the romance we missed from 1942 to 1945! Tell me if you would like that!**

**Hope you have tissues . . . .**

* * *

**Pearl Harbor Part 2**

i.

Rachel's eyes snap open.

Booms, as loud as gunshots, could be heard from a distance, repeating over and over again. She looks beside her, noticing the scattered bed sheets that Finn recently slept in. Bolting upright, she jumps out of bed, still clattered in her sun dress as she makes her way out of her room.

"Rachel!" Santana exclaims, her eyes wide with fear. She runs up to her, gripping her hand through her own. "What's happening?" she questions, though Santana just shakes her head in confusion. She notices a pack of nurses outside, their fingers pointing, their hands clamped over their months, all huddled on the front lawn. Something's wrong, she knows it. Pulling Santana along with her, she rushes out of the building, anxiety creeping on her as the booms grow louder and louder.

She freezes at what she sees.

Smoke, as thick as clouds, cover their sight line, though Rachel can still make out the fire coming from the ships. Planes are soaring below the horizon, bullets springing from their machines, bombs falling into the water of the harbor. Explosions erupt, causing a physical shake to the island, and she feels Santana's nails dig into her skin as Rachel rests a protective hand over her belly. She knew they would join the war some way, but not like this, not at this price.

"Oh God," a voice gasps from beside her, and she doesn't even have to look to know that it's Quinn. Fingers clutch at hers, and she squeezes them, sending Quinn the comfort that she needs, because she knows that she can't handle this kind of catastrophe.

It's a collaboration of situations, though only one thought comes to mind.

"Finn," she breathes, mostly to herself. Her heart races hurriedly inside her chest, and God she hopes he's already on that plane, safe and away from the destruction here. She shakes her head, and she can't worry about him now, not when there's thousands of lives at risk. She turns to the pack of nurses surrounding her, she knows what Finn would do, she knows what she has to do.

"Everyone to the hospitals now!"

* * *

ii.

Finn stares up in shock, his body trembling with panic as bombs explode around him. They're being attacked, the whole island, everyone on it, including him and Puck and _Rachel. _The thought of her in danger pulls him from his surprise, and he has to warn everyone, he has to get the message out. The planes continue to destroy the ships out on the water, saving him time to bolt from his spot on the campus, rushing towards the main building.

"Everyone!" he screams, his voice drowned out by the sirens and whistles of the planes, "get up! get up!"

He runs down the hallway of the nearest building, roaring warnings and cautions. People begin to stumble out of their rooms in confusion, still asleep in the early hours of the morning. "What's going on?" a young lad, about eighteen, speaks up. Finn shudders, pointing towards the doors leading outside.

"We're being - "

An explosion erupts from the hallway they're in, the force causing rubbles of the brick to shatter at it's contact. Finn drops immediately to the floor, his hands covering his head as chunks of glass and wood fly towards him, hitting anything, anyone in it's way. He can hear the defining sound of the bomb, his ears ringing in the aftermath of it's destruction. His arms are bleeding with ashes, he can already feel it, and he needs to get up, to keep moving before he's stuck in this vulnerable stage of shock.

Lifting his head, he squints his eyes into the hallway just destroyed. Smoke clouds his vision, with a couple of small flames flashing harmlessly. He scans the area, his gaze stopping when he finds the eighteen year old laying back on the floor, his limbs tangled brokenly.

His eyes are closed shut, and Finn knows he's dead.

* * *

iii.

"Everybody wake the hell up!"

Mike's booming voice echoes throughout the room of sleeping navy men on the lowest level, his hands shaking the cotton beds. He runs up and down the aisle of the room, smacking every mattress that he passes in an attempt for them to wake. The ship quivers slightly as new bombs continue to explode on the upper deck, and he kicks his foot against the wall in frustration.

He turns towards the men still unconscious in slumber, anger and rage overtaking him as he rattles the beds, throwing men off of their own mattresses. "We're being bombed seamen!" he roars, as men start to finally open their eyes in alarm. He pushes them towards the door to the upper deck, then continuing to wake the rest of them.

"Get up and defend your country!"

* * *

iv.

Men begin to use rifles in an attempt to shoot down the planes. It's pointless, and Finn knows they're wasting time as he continues to get everyone out of the main buildings, the main target. He searches the area for anyone who needs help the most, his ears ringing with the repeating noise of the bombs and planes surrounding him.

A cry full of despair and desperation wails around him in the East building, and Finn looks to his left, noticing the only man trapped in rubble and chaos. His legs are covered with ashes and broken piles of brick, his arm waving in the air for Finn to see. He coughs slightly as he runs through the smoke to get to him, heat from nearby fires creating a sheen of sweat. The man has blood splattered over his uniform, his own, he doesn't know. His teeth are missing, his eye is glued shut, and he looks like a broken mess that can't be fixed. Finn is going to try anyways.

"I'm going to get you out of here," he rasps, voice thick with smoke. He begins to lift the piles trapping his legs off of him, but the man shakes his head, stopping him. "No," he hiccups, and blood pours from his mouth. He points to his rifle a couple feet away, curling his finger hinting that he wants it. Finn looks at him confusion though gets up, and retreats the gun back to him.

He doesn't understand what he's doing until he presses the gun against his head -

"No sir - "

- And pulls the trigger.

* * *

v.

Rachel runs, fast and anxiously towards the hospital wing in the left building. She analyzes the once peaceful campus, now demolished with fire and smoke, dead and injured. She huddles closer to Quinn beside her, her heart racing too fast to control.

"Move!" Tina screams from behind, and she looks up, her eyes widening at the sight of a plane soaring above them. Bullets come down like hail, hitting spots of concrete surrounding them. A loud shriek of fear rips from Quinn's body, and she pushes Rachel to the side, out of the targeting pathway of the bullets. They hit the side of the main fountain, a piercing pain riding up Rachel's side from the impact.

"We're not going to make it to the hospital," she cries, her arm holding her growing belly. She leans against the edge of the fountain, wiping the blood oozing from her cheek. Quinn grabs her shaking frame, eyes cold and fierce as she stares into him. "Yes we are. I want you to run okay? Stop for nothing until we make it to that hospital. We're going to be fine."

Rachel nods, and continues her pace to the building. She scans the pack of nurses around her, searching for a specific brunette in the crowd.

"Where's Tina?"

Quinn just pushes her forward.

* * *

vi.

Screams could be heard at every corner, cries of longing and pain echoing from soldiers who lay broken on the ground. The sun is heavier than ever as Finn builds with anxiety in the lost crowd of men, his uniform and body covered in sweat and dirt. His vision is blurred with blood, and he knows he won't be able to recover from the amount of death he's witnessed.

His eyes carefully scanning for anyone familiar who can help him. The smell of gun powder is forever imprinted on him as he pushes himself through the crowd of panicking men, trying to shoot down the planes with weak weapons. He shakes his head, he knows they need something bigger.

"Finn!"

The voice is low and faint, and it must be close since the island is surrounded with roaring planes. He whips around in the pack of military men, trying to specify who's calling his name. He feels a bloody hand clamper his shoulder, and when he turns, he sighs in relief when he finds himself looking at Puck, bruised but alive.

"You okay?" he asks, and he can see when he talks that his lips are purple and blue. He nods his head, and Puck looks up at the morning sky, the planes circling above them. "Looks you're gonna have to kill some Japs before you get those Nazi's."

Another bomb is dropped a couple yards from them, and Finn pushes Puck further away from the impact. He's shaking slightly, and he knows he's thinking about Quinn and Finn is thinking about Rachel but they just need to focus so he grabs Puck's arms and physically stills him. His eyes wander around them, at the motionless people laying on the concrete, to the continuous attack of the bombs.

"Listen, nothing is going to stop those planes with rifles," his voice increases in volume, and he's practically yelling as the planes swerve around them, "we need to get to those planes, find as many pilots as you can and meet me at the airfield."

Understanding glints in Puck's eyes and he nods in bewilderment. Without another word, Finn begins to make his way through the opening of the crowd. "Wait!" Puck hollers, "where are you going?"

Finn gestures to the destruction ahead of him. "I'm going to help anyone who needs it. I'll meet you there soon."

* * *

vi.

People begin to jump off the edge of the Arizona ship, missing bullets as they fall. Some are on fire, some are already shot, and the water looks like a safe haven from standing on the upper deck. Mike tears his eyes away from the swimming men, his breathing rapid as he stares at the blood flowing on the deck. They're outnumbered, by far, and the planes are still continuing their mission even though they've already caused damage.

It's a battlefield, and he wasn't prepared for this type of duty. Men are crying as they witness their friends get killed, there's blood everywhere, bodies everywhere and it's all too real to forget. Fires erupt from areas on the ship, causing a intense wave of heat and burns. His knees are buckling with fatigue, and he's so close to giving up and just closing his eyes for a while.

But he needs to do this, not just for himself, but for his lover. He thinks about Tina, how mad she'll be if he doesn't make it, if he doesn't try. He wants Tina, needs Tina forever, and he'll try to keep fighting, for her.

Before he can take another step forward, he feels multiple bullets rip through his stomach.

And Tina is the last thing he thinks about before he collapses.

* * *

vii.

He's already lifted a wooden board from a fallen man when he sees a familiar patch of blonde hair.

"Sam!"

He can't hear, of course he can't, Finn can barely hear himself scream his name. He orders a couple of bystanders to bring the broken man to the hospital wing, and lay him down on an empty cot before running towards his friend. Sam is running in a panic, probably not even knowing where he's going, so Finn grabs his shoulders from behind, spinning him to face him.

There's a thick line of burns leading down his cheek, caused by the flaming fires. It's recent, the scar new and forming. His eyes slightly widen at this development, but Sam shakes his head, his eyes questioning.

"What do you need me to do?"

* * *

viii.

Her feet are practically burning when they reach the main square, her breathing rapid and short. The hospital is just a few yards away, and she can make it, for her, and for Finn and for their child. She holds her stomach, hoping her baby is safe in there without any real protection except the barrier of it's mothers skin.

Rachel wipes a sheen of sweat from her face, her hands red and black with blood and dirt. She tries not to sob at the amount of bodies lying in the middle of the square, eyes searching for any survivors, anyone who can help. She stops instantly in her tracks, causing Quinn to stop also since they're holding each other. Nurses run past them, unfazed at their sudden halt. "Rachel," Quinn hisses, but she doesn't care, not when she see's the face that she never thought she'd see again.

Oh, _Finn_.

Their eyes meet, as if he senses her, and she watches as he closes his eyes in relief until -

A bomb is dropped a few feet away from them, right in front of the nurses ahead. It bounces on the concrete, it's large shape long and thick. Her heart jumps in fear, her eyes squeezed shut in preparation for the explosion that happens next. She can feel Quinn tense next to her, but nothing happens, and the nurses stay still in confusion. It's a dud, isn't it?

"RACHEL!"

Finn's scream is drawn out as it erupts, fire and smoke spewing from it's rupture. Quinn's hand is disconnected from hers as the impact forces them backwards, her head landing harshly on the concrete. Heat fills her, and she can almost smell the blood and death coming from the nurses who were in front of it, their lives quickly vanished. Blood begins to flow from the top of her head, trailing along her cheek. She begins to couch through the smoke, stuck, not knowing what to do as she looks at the destruction around her.

Her vision is blurry, but Rachel can still see the silhouette of someone rushing towards her. His arms are outstretched and she realizes exactly who it is. It's her hero.

"Rachel," Finn breathes, his hands wiping the blood and dirt from her face. She blinks repeatedly, trying to get the dust free from her eyes. "Don't scare me like that," he says, and it sounds like he's close to crying. She nods her head, not being able to speak with her friends dead in front of her. Their loosing, and they all know it.

He presses a kiss to her forehead, and they both look up when they see Sam coming forward with Quinn, Santana, and a few other nurses who survived the impact. It's a good thing they're covered by the smoke, or the planes would start to shoot on them to kill any of the survivors.

Finn helps Rachel up, his hands wrapped around her waist to steady her as she stands. His face is rigid now, and she knows that his inner rage is slowly overtaking him, overpowering him with the need to kill the Japanese. "Sam, find any pilots and get to the airfield. Puck should be there, and I'll meet you in about ten minutes."

Sam nods and Finn then looks at the only nurses left, about ten or more to tend hundreds of injured. He sighs in defeat, and he can't let any more die, not when they are so few left. "I'm getting these girls safely to the hospital," he states.

Then the smoke is gone, and they're targeted when the planes spot them again.

* * *

ix.

He finds Blaine on the ground after Finn orders him back to the airfield, the curly haired man covered in thick blood. Puck holds a hand out to him, pulling him up with all the strength he has left. A bomb falls from before them, and Blaine shudders, and that's when Puck notices the rocks in his left eye that's squeezed shut. This guy is going blind.

"We're going to get to the airfield outside of the campus alright? They must have already destroyed the nearest ones." he demands, and Blaine is silent, his good eye focused on something behind him. His mouth puckers open in disbelief, and when Puck turns around, he gaps.

The USS Oklahoma ship, out on the ocean surrounded by scared, swimming seamen, is now tilting. The base of it is swerving upwards, the upper deck of the ship turning to the surface of the water. It's completely rolling over, men desperately trying to hold to railings and ropes as it continues to capsize over the ocean. It soon turns fully over, the bottom of the ship now the top, with men trapped underneath.

"Holy shit."

* * *

x.

"Duck!"

He crouches his body over Rachel's, his large frame completely covering hers as bullets create a pathway beside them. His face presses against her hair, his arms wrapped tightly around to hold her arms to her chest. They anxiously wait for the bullets to pass, and Finn holds onto her tightly when he feels a bullet miss his leg, though leaving an instant bruise.

Finn lifts his head when it's over, turning back to look at the pack of nurses behind him. Most of them on the concrete, some getting up, though all of them have fear in their eyes. "Let's go ladies!" he yells, picking Rachel up from the bloody ground. He stares at the women with determination in his eyes, "we're right here!"

He curls his fingers, gesturing for them to follow him as he takes a hold of Rachel's hand, continuing to run through the bloody battlefield. He feels Rachel's fingers close tightly around his, squeezing them sharply as he leads the group safely towards the hospital. He pushes all of them inside, his eyes widening at the slight destruction that occurred to it.

"Go!" he screams, and the nurses automatically start planning, Quinn grabbing the nearest cots and bringing them towards the door. His eyes trail slowly towards Rachel, who's still standing there, her eyes trained on his face. He analyzes her, her sweating forehead, the blood surrounding her skin that might not even be her own. His attention falls further below, to where she rests her hand on her stomach, to where their baby is kept safe in this war.

Finn turns on his heel, because if he keeps staring at her and thinking then he won't be able to will himself to leave. So with one final look, he leaves, not sure if he'll be coming back.

"Finn!"

And she seems to realize that too.

She runs towards him, scared but determined as she launches herself at him, her lips crushing against his. He stumbles back a little at her unexpected force, but his arms soon wrap around her body tightly, pulling her close. It's too short, any kiss of hers is, and when she pulls back, her eyes hazy with doubt, he kisses her again, trying to chase away her fears with his lips.

"Please be careful," she tells him, but he thinks it's an order. He nods his head, that's all he can do without making any promises. She kisses him again. "I love you," she whispers, and God she makes everything so hard not to cry.

Pressing one final kiss to her forehead, he sighs, "I love you."

And then he enters the battlefield again.

* * *

xi.

Sam stumbles onto the pavement of the second airfield, his mind still recovering from the amount of destruction he witnessed to the first one. The pilots he found - Sebastian, Karofsky, Joe - all follow him as they reach the clear airfield. Some men surround the planes, checking for any damages. Nothing is destroyed, yet, and when he looks up at the sky to see if any of the planes are coming back, he finds them leaving.

"They'll be back."

Sam turns towards the unexpected voice to find himself looking into the eyes of Puck. He nods knowingly, watching as the planes above the ocean and campus begin to leave as well. "The campus and ships won't be bothered, they've already been hit. Another wave will return, they're goal is to destroy our gravest weapons, and there's about ten of them right here." Puck gestures to the planes, where men are fueling it and preparing them for fight. He shuffles Sam and the rest of them towards the planes, where the men are hurriedly doing their tasks.

"They better come back stronger, because we're prepared to fight back."

* * *

xii.

The skies won't be clear for long, he knows that. Another set of planes will come back, and Finn will be ready. He looks at the person running beside him, a captain maybe, trying to get to the airfield to help as well.

He should have heard them coming.

It isn't long before bullets tear through the captain's body, splattering Finn with his blood, and the planes are already back.

* * *

xiii.

"I need a damn doctor!"

The clinic is crowded with men full of blood, full of pain. Moans of suffering could be heard at every corner as they continue to pile in, some burnt from fires and smoke. It's a blood bath, the floors are covered in it, the cots are covered in it. Rachel is covered in it.

Her hands are still pressed against the side of a man's neck, blood spluttering from his open skin. Her uniform is getting soaked with red, but it doesn't matter, not with thousands of men dyeing around her. She looks hurriedly to see Dr. Howell running towards her, his brown eyes widening when he see's the damage in the man's throat.

"Plugged artery," he chokes out, and Rachel nods in understanding. She pulls away to get the morphine, but he grabs her wrist, bringing her back. "No, Rachel, I need you to go outside. Organize the crowd, too many people in here are going to die no matter the medication and we can't waste our appliances."

"Dr. Howe - "

"Go."

He practically pushes her towards the open doors, his sweaty palms slipping on her skin. The realization of people's inevitable death hits her hard. People, innocent people with sweethearts and children are going to die. People with promises of safety and vows of coming home. People like Finn.

Rachel stumbles down the steps leading to the main campus, her breathing heavy and rapid with anxiety. She holds tightly onto the railing when she witnesses the impending torment in the crowd's eyes, their broken limbs hanging off of someone carrying them. She rushes towards a pair closest to her, a man holding an injured one, who's head is bubbling with blood.

"He got hit by the Oklahoma as it went down," the friend says, adjusting his body in his arms, "he's going to be okay right?"

Rachel nods repeatedly, brushing back his hair to examine the injury. She pats him on the back and gestures them towards the outside steps. "It's minor, just wait outside until we get through with the men who need it the most, alright?"

Without waiting for a response, she moves to another pair, this time, it's a woman being carried.

"I just found her," he says, breathless, "I don't think she's breathing."

Her face is covered by her hair, and when she feels her wrist, her pulse, it's not beating. A wave of sorrow crashes through Rachel, and she closes her eyes for a moment, because of this girl, this poor girl. Rachel nods, agreeing to his statement. "She's dead."

She flips her hair over.

It's Tina.

* * *

xiv.

Finn stumbles onto the pavement of the airfield, heavily breathing from the long stride he just took. His eyes scan the area for Puck or Sam, for anyone who he knows. He spots both of them by one of the planes, working on getting it fueled. He's about to run towards them until -

"They're coming back!"

His heart stops, and he turns around to see another wave, smaller, coming towards them, prepared to destroy. He gulps harshly, rushing towards Puck and Sam as bullets begin to follow his path. He feels one graze his core, and he hiccups, but keeps running, ignores the pain. He watches as Blaine crawls into plane #73, his eyes determined and raging, and maybe they can win after all.

"Finn!" He can see Puck and Sam calling his name, waving for him to hurry past Blaine so he could fly. He tries, running as fast as he can but it's not enough. It's never enough.

Before Blaine can even pull out, a bomb explodes the plane he's in, destroying his life and the structure. Finn is flown backwards, along with many other people and chunks. His head cracks against the concrete as he lands on his back brokenly. He feels his stomach feeling pressed on, and when he opens his eyes, he finds himself trapped between the concrete and a piece of the demolished plane's wing.

Fuck.

"Get up! Get up!"

Finn struggles to lift the part from his body, already weak and exhausted from the days events. He tries, so hard, and he just feels like surrendering, like laying here and waiting for death to come. But then he remembers Rachel, and how selfish that would be of him to her and their daughter, so he tries harder, but it's no use.

He's stuck.

Another plane is coming towards him, and Finn closes his eyes briefly, remembering. The long days spent with his parents, the nights where he and Puck would stay out late, coming back till the early morning. Training for war and getting the honorable status of a captain. Meeting Rachel, knowing Rachel, loving Rachel and their child. It's quite an accomplishment, his life, and the only regret he has leaving this world is not being able to meet his child.

Finn opens his eyes when he hears the bullet begin to pad along the ground, making it's way towards him. He breathes in surrender, prepared for his death, but he isn't prepared for is what happens next -

"NO!"

Puck throws himself in front of him, his body shielding his from the upcoming bullets. He watches in horror as they rip through his stomach, blood splattering his face from the impact. Puck wavers on his feet as the plane leaves, slowly falling to his knees, and then sinking to the ground.

"PUCK!"

He feels rage bubble through him, and with iron muscles he lifts the wing high enough for him to roll to the side. He coughs in bewilderment, his hands stained black as he weakly crawls to Puck's bleeding body, his fingers trailing along the holes in his stomach. "Oh God," he moans, and he can feel them coming, feel the tears swell in his eyes.

His best friend, the man he's known for thirteen years. The man who's been there for his father's death, and for their military training. The man who taught him how to get back up and preserve, the man who's been his brother for half of his life.

That man. That incredible man is now in front of him, bleeding with death on his shoulders. His brown eyes usually full of determination are now filled with fear, and despair, and he knows what's about to happen to him. His hand finds Finn's, and he grasps them together, their final moment as friends, brothers.

"Just hold on a couple minutes longer," Finn chokes out, his voice hoarse and dry. He squeezes his fingers, watching as the war continues around him, but he doesn't care, he can't leave Puck in his dying moments. "I'm not letting the Japanese see you die. I'm not letting them feel that type of victory."

It's no use pretending that he's going to make it, he can't lie. So when he looks at him, he can feel their wall of confidence shatter around them at the realization. His body is still rippling with blood, and Finn wonders how he's still alive. "Promise me something," Puck mumbles, and blood drips from his dry lips. "Promise me that you'll take care of Rachel. And Quinn. Find someone good for her alright?"

"You love her don't you?"

Puck laughs through his tears and Finn can tell by his eyes and skin that he won't make it much longer. He's already fighting hard enough to stay awake, to keep his eyes open and the thought that his best friend is seconds away from permanent departure forces sobs out of him.

"I'm going to be a daddy, you know," Finn says, because he has to know before he dies, "you were going to be an uncle. The best one."

Puck smiles, lips turning up into one last smirk, and then his eyes swiftly close.

* * *

xv.

Her hands grip the iron post of the bed, barely holding on as the blood makes her fingers slip. She feels her body tremble, her vision blurry, stained with death. She tries to fight through it, just like the men around her, she can't let them down.

"Rachel."

Santana holds out a hand for her to take as they stand in the middle of chaos, their actions slow compared to the anxiety surrounding them. She steady's her as she stands up straight, fixing her nurse uniform on her dress. "Maybe you should take a break," she sympathizes, her eyes trailing towards her growing belly.

Rachel shakes her off with a wave. These people need more help than she does, they're counting on her to do her job and save their lives. She is not turning her backs on them because of slight dizziness. "There's not enough nurses, don't worry about me."

Rachel turns away from Santana without another word, her mind blocking out her concern. She walks towards the pack of injured men waiting to be cured, ignoring the sharp jolt of pain coursing through her stomach.

She convinces herself it was nothing.

* * *

xvi.

"Finn! Get up!"

Sam's hands are persistent as they try to pull him from Puck's motionless body. He clutches himself closer to Puck, not wanting to let go, never wanting to let go of his best man. An erupting bomb a couple feet away forces him off though, and it shakes away his distractions. There's not that many planes anymore, and he wonders where they've gone. Though staring back at the battlefield, the Japanese planes are still bombing the airfield. The innocent people trapped under their targets. The Japanese who killed his best friend.

He needs to get on a plane.

He turns to Sam, yelling over the disorder, "where's the two B-17's?"

A roaring of destruction answers his questions as he looks up at the blue sky, his eyes widening when he notices one of the Japanese planes spinning towards them. It's falling, burning as it spirals, and a sheer glint of hope runs through him when he see's the two B-17's above him, continuing their retaliation on other Japanese planes.

The chaos down here seems to downgrade, most of the planes now leaving in an attempt to escape their revenge. They've accomplished their mission, all of the planes on the ground are destroyed. He feels Sam nudge him where they stand, pointing at their planes. "That's Captain's Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker. McClawey just came back from England. The Eagle Squad."

Finn gapes at the information - he was supposed to be leaving for England today. He was supposed to be off to war, but instead he got stuck in the starting point of World War 2. He planned on entering the war, and then hopefully coming back. Now everything's changed, it's all changed. His best friend is dead, his training base is destroyed, hundreds of souls are lost.

He doesn't know how to recover from something like this.

* * *

xvii.

The planes are beginning to leave, with the help of Danny and Rafe. He looks around the massacre, bodies thrown onto the ground like dolls. Finn stumbles towards the nearest survivor, a man, maybe the same age as Finn, broken on the concrete.

"Sir," the man gasps, his hands pointing towards his legs. Finn's eyes trail along his bloody body, eyes rounding when he see's the deep slashes and burns in both of his legs. He looks back at him in sympathy. "What's your name soldier?" Finn asks, and the man almost smiles at the title. He breathes heavily, his chest rising lowly.

"Artie, sir," he answers, and Finn can only nod. He stares at his legs, and he doesn't know what to do, doesn't know if he should bring him to the hospital, if he's allowed to pick him up with these type of injury. He rips a piece of loose fabric from his own uniform, wrapping it around both of his legs in an attempt to stop the bleeding until a nurse can see him. Artie tightens at the pressure, and chokes out innocently,

"Do you think I'll loose my legs?"

* * *

xviii.

"Rachel? Rachel are you okay?"

She sways slightly, her legs trembling in some sort of repeating quiver. She feels her head turn in spins, her stomach cramping wildly. Looking up at Quinn in shock, she knows what's coming next. She was too late.

Blood slips from her legs, dripping onto the floor. Her eyes roll back into her head, and she feels herself slowly drifting into nothing. Slowly loosing consciousness.

Quinn gapes. "Oh God, she's having a - "

Rachel doesn't hear what comes next because she's already collapsed on the bloody floor.

* * *

xix.

The planes are gone, but the devastation continues.

Finn passes by the sunken ships, the demolished planes, the boneless bodies. This wasn't supposed to happen, they should have seen this coming, someone should have seen the hints. America is smart, their people are smart, than why was this event so unexpected and surprising? Why did the Japanese have to bomb this base camp? The most populated, with the most recruits and good people.

But then he realizes - this is life. This is the word they live in. The world where bad things happen to good people, and good fortune happens to the people who don't deserve it. Life doesn't stop just because people can't keep up with it. And that's the reason, that's why this happened today.

Because that's _life_.

Finn shakes his head in defeat as he watches people trying to break through the Oklahoma ship, the men trapped at the bottom already drowned by the arising water. It's not use. Nothing anyone does is useful anymore. The only reason he's fought through this day is because he has a responsibility of coming home to a family, a woman who loves him. Rachel.

The thought of her makes him walk faster, and Sam has to run to keep up with him. God, he hopes she's okay, that the baby's okay, that they're all going to be okay. His mind is racing a million miles as he enters the hospital.

It's scattered with moans and injuries but it's organized, and collect. People lay in cots and tables and any space that the nurses could find. A small smile reaches his lips when he realizes the amount of heroism Rachel must have portrayed today.

Just like Puck.

He breathes in a sigh of relief when he notices Quinn tending to a sleeping man, her hand on his forehead to wipe off the sweat. Her eyes widen when she see's him, and they walk towards each other.

"Puck - "

"Rachel - "

He doesn't like the way her eyes turn sympathetic, and he's sure his eyes reflect hers.

"You tell me first," she demands, her breathing so shallow he can barely hear it. Sam claps his back in an attempt to encourage and comfort him, and he stares at Quinn, the woman he promised he would take care of. He doesn't know how to say it, so he doesn't, he just says, "I'm sorry Quinn."

And she knows.

Her face crumples into despair, her piercing, green eyes welling up with tears he didn't want to face. He never thought he would do something like this, tell a widow or sweetheart about the death of their lover, he hates it, hates the pain he's caused just by saying those words. It's worse than doing the actual killing.

He attempts to envelope her in a hug, Puck would have liked that, but she backs away, her hands up in defense. Tears are streaming down her face now, and she waves her hands back and forth. "No, we have time for this later," she says, trying her hardest to be strong. It's a torn situation, trying not to cry over your lost one because you have duties to cover.

She turns to leave, but he grabs her wrist.

"Wait, Quinn, what about Rachel? Is she okay?"

Her eyes shed more tears than before, and she slightly shakes her head. He holds onto her hand, waiting for her to spit out the words. It's something bad, or else it wouldn't be so hard to say. Something bad happened to Rachel. Rachel. _His _Rachel.

Quinn swallows thickly, "she had a miscarriage, Finn."

Miscarriage.

A simple word, though so many emotions define it. Despair, hate, rage, sympathy, desperation.

Right now Finn is feeling all of them.

His baby, the baby he and Rachel made together by their love is destroyed by hate, not bombs and guns, but hate. No matter the amount of love in this world, there will always be hate, and that's the feeling that is conquering the rest, hate for the Japanese, hate for the war, hate for himself for not protecting her. His fists clench tightly, fingers curling into palms, and then the desperation kicks in.

"I need to see her," he spits out, but Quinn stops him with her hands before he can even move. She bows her head down, and then sadness begins to creep up on him, and soon enough tears are burning down both their cheeks.

"Please Finn," she pleads, "please she's not well. Don't bother her, please just help the others."

He tries to not think about it, about his family being torn apart. About his Rachel not being well. He needs a distraction, so he nods in agreement.

"What do you want us to do?"

* * *

xx.

Quinn connects the tubes into Finn's arms, the wires ending at a bowl in front of them. It stings a little as his blood runs through it, dripping in the bowl, but whatever it takes to help people, he'll do.

She moves on to Sam, her hands running along his arms and pricking the needle in his skin. She inserts the tube, and she's about to turn, but Sam stops her, his fingers curling around her delicate hand.

She looks at him in concern.

"Puck was a great man," he says, and his fingertips smooth across her skin. "He died a hero, you know."

Quinn smiles, small and genuine.

* * *

xxi.

"How did he die?"

Finn is shocked by Quinn's question as they sit together on the bench outside of Rachel's room. Her progress isn't getting better, and they're not allowing anyone to see her until she's physically recovered. A couple of hours has passed since the infamous morning, and it's night time now, the visions and scenes of death and blood still clear in both their minds.

"Why do you want to know that?" he asks cautiously. Surely she doesn't want to hear the details about her boyfriend being killed, about the bullets that ripped through his body forcefully.

She shrugs. "Sam said he died a hero. How?"

Finn looks at her, her usually pale skin still splattered with red. Her green eyes are bubbling with tears again, and he thinks this is a good time for her to mourn. With all of the survivors asleep, and all of the dead put respectfully away. It's almost quiet in the hospital. Her eyes are burning with explanations and unanswered questions, and he swallows thickly, prepared to retell the moment he watched his best friend die.

"I was running across the airfield when a plane exploded and I got trapped underneath the wing. Another one was coming by, ready to gun me, and Puck jumped in front and took the bullets. I was with him his last few minutes."

It's silent except for the sound of tears hitting skin, heavy breathing. He feels his face grow wet but he doesn't care, it's okay to cry sometimes. "Did he say anything about me?" she wonders quietly.

_Take care of Quinn. Find someone good for her alright?_

"He loved you," Finn whispers, because he doesn't think she'll want to think about moving on quite yet, so he gives her the satisfaction of keeping it to himself, "he just wanted you to know that."

Her eyes squeeze shut, tears leaking through. He grips her hand in his, the contact sending some sort of comfort towards her. They sit together, no words spoken but understanding one another. They can relate to each other, loosing someone they love. Her boyfriend and his child.

Everyone lost something that day.

* * *

xxii.

It's the next morning, when the groups of the injured and the healed, untouched and alive, crowded amongst various radios to hear the results of their attack yesterday. Finn takes Quinn and Sam to the closest one, each of them squished in between other men trying to hear.

President Roosevelt's voice cackles through the speakers:

"_Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might, will win through to absolutely victory."_

An applause echoes throughout the radio, and the people around them repeat it, soldiers and survivors clapping their hands with hope.

"_With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God. I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941 - _

_" - A state of War has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire."_

Finn blinks in bewilderment, as do Quinn and Sam despite the cheers and whistles of agreement surrounding them. He can't leave now, they can't force him to leave can they? He should have seen this coming.

World War 2 just started.

* * *

xxiii.

They're walking back from helping with the broken ships, just the two of them, when the topic comes up again,

"Do you think you'll enter?" Sam asks, and there's an edge to it. The question makes Finn uneasy, just thinking of leaving again, saying a second goodbye to Rachel and his friends. He doesn't think he'll be able to.

He sighs heavily, "It's a high possibility," he says truthfully. The early evening sky brings a certain chill to the conversation, and he's about to elaborate on his opinion when the front doors to the hospital open forcefully with a clang.

Finn's eyes travel towards the noise, and he halts in his tracks when he see's her, dressed in a sunny, white dress, hair long in tangled waves. There's cuts on her legs and arms, but she's standing there, alive and breathing.

He practically cries when she faces him.

"Finn."

She screams it, and she begins to walk towards him, though it's not fast enough for him. He leaves Sam without another word, taking off on a sprint and even from the distance he can see the tears falling from her face. He jumps over the barrier of rubble separating them, and when he lands on his feet, she's already in front of him, launching herself into his arms.

She came home, she came back to him.

He wraps his arms solidly around her waist, her sobs muffled as she rubs her face against his chest. Her hands grasp at his shirt, tugging his material into her fists in a needed attempt to feel all of him. He presses desperate kisses to every part he can reach, her hair, her forehead, her ear, anywhere.

"Finn," she bawls, and he presses herself tighter against him as if she's trying to join them together. It's a whirlwind of emotions, and he doesn't know what to feel as he embraces her passionately. "He's gone, Finn, our baby is - "

He pulls back, his hand cupping the back of her head as he crushes his lips to hers, silencing her. He swallows her cries, not wanting to hear her statement of loosing the baby, their baby they created together. Her lips tremble against his, but she kisses him back, finding comfort in it as he smooths her tears with his other hand.

A sob releases from her, and it causes their mouths to separate, though they're still close, their lips barely grazing each other. She slides her hands up and down the scale of his arms, anxiety bubbling in her every action. "Rachel," Finn whispers. He hooks his finger under her chin, pulling her face up to meet his.

He thumbs the cuts scattered across her face, then wiping away the tears from her cheeks. He practically growls under his breath, they did this to her, the Japanese caused her pain, these tears. He kisses them away, taking advantage of the days he couldn't even see her.

He wonders how badly he'll miss her when he's in war.

They're still embracing in the middle of the demolished campus, and he sighs at the heavy stares they receive. He turns to her, pulling away to link their hands together. "Come on, let's go to the beach."

* * *

xxiv.

She cries when he tells her about Puck and Mike, her body collapsing into his arms. He lowers them both to the sand, cradling her close on top of him on the ground. He rubs circles on her back in attempted comfort, and she hides her face in the crook of his neck.

The tears just won't stop.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," she bawls, and he starts to rock her back and forth in his embrace, "You were supposed to leave, then come back when I've already given birth. We were supposed to raise a child together, Finn, a loving family. B-but not anymore. And I hate myself for not stopping, for letting this happen, for killing our chi - "

"Rachel. Rachel _stop,_" he sympathizes. She nods against his skin, pressing herself deeper with his body. He can feel the tears leaking against his neck, hot and wet. "You know this isn't your fault. You know you had to save all the people around you. If anything you're a hero, Rachel, my hero at least." He winces when another sob escapes her, and he hopes he didn't say the wrong thing.

Rachel lifts her head to look at him. Eyes swollen. "Quinn told me about Roosevelt declaring war on Japan." There's a pause, and he's sure she sees the glint of panic in his eyes. "I know you have to go . . . I know."

He doesn't say anything, just stares at her gently. His hand comes up to glide against her cheeks, the back of his fingers grazing her skin. She sniffles, rubbing her nose with her arm as she climbs closer to him, her head resting against his.

"I know you'll come back this time."

His eyes are closed, and he doesn't dare open them and let the unwanted tears fall. He can feel her breath fan across his face, and he clutches her closer. "How?" he asks, because how can she have hope after everything they've lost.

Her answer breaks him.

"God has already taken so much."

* * *

xxv.

She squeezes their linked fingers as they walk among the thousands of wooden coffins organized in rows. His arm comes up to wrap around her middle, pulling her as close as he can as they pass by the victims of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Finn watches as women and men mourn at their loved ones, hands pressing against the wood in an attempt to feel them again.

He pulls Rachel closer to him, never wanting to have that feeling of not being able to touch her again. Her hair is pulled back in a messy bun, eyes shaded with despair and loss as they make their rounds. He momentarily freezes when he sees Sam holding a sobbing Quinn a couple feet away, and he instantly knows what coffin they're at.

Puck.

His eyes meet Rachel's red ones, and they don't say anything, but she knows what he's thinking. Giving him a reassuring smile they walk towards the blonde pair, body's pressed together. The warm Hawaii sun is blaring his back, heat mixing with anxiety as he walks closer to his best friend's anatomy.

Quinn's cries are torturous, her heart clearly aching. She holds onto Sam, and when Finn see's the coffin, see's the name printed on the wood -

He would have collapsed if it weren't for Rachel.

She steadies him, not with her body, but with her love. Her lips pressing against his chest, her hands reassuring as they move against his frame. Her eyes, soft and gentle, as they gaze into his. Love, the only thing stronger than hate and despair.

Rachel tries to smile, attempted comfort, but her face crumbles again as her fingers play with the fabric above her stomach. There's one person here who isn't buried, who isn't mentioned, their child. He shouldn't be forgotten either.

He cradles her face against his chest, holding her as they both let their tears fall over the horrific date that changed everything. But one thing hasn't changed for sure.

He'll always be there for her. No matter what.

* * *

xxvi.

He approaches them when they're walking back from the memorial.

"Captain Hudson."

He feels Rachel tense beside him as they turn to see Lt. Schuester striding towards them. Uniform sharp and clean, he wears the same frown on his face, only deepened after a long day.

"Rachel why don't you head back," Finn tells her. She looks up at him, eyes widening as Schuester stops in front of them. "It's okay," he whispers, low enough for only her to hear, "it's okay."

She nods, stepping closer to him so he can press a lingering kiss to her forehead. Their hands separate as she walks away, hurrying a little to catch up with Sam and Quinn heading back also. He turns to Schuester.

"I'm under the impression the Eagle Squad still wants me."

Schuester nods curtly. "They know about the attack. They've been generous though, knowing that surviving that day must have caused a life time of pain. They're only giving you one year of dogfighting in England." he says, and a shiver of hope runs through him. One year. He can do that, he can survive that. He _has to. __  
_

Finn nods, he's confident. "When do I leave?"

"Get to the planes in three hours."

* * *

xxvii.

He walks back to the room the four of them have been sharing in the one of the last buildings that hasn't been destroyed. Three hours, three hours to say all the things he should be able to say in one year.

That's a lot of talking.

"Finn." Rachel rushes towards him, eyes wide with questions. Her face almost breaks him down. "What did he say?"

He doesn't answer, not caring about the concerned expressions of Quinn and Sam as he pulls her flush towards him, kissing her in the earnest. She slips into his embrace, kissing him with the same forcefulness. Passion, and love, and angst. He has two hours before he has to pack and get to the plane, and all he wants to do is spend it with Rachel.

"Three hours," he gasps when they separate, and shock crosses all three of their features, "I leave in three hours."

Sam pulls Quinn out of the room as if they already know what he's about to ask next, closing the door behind them. Rachel doesn't cry, doesn't sob in denial, but pulls him back to her, also desperate to experience the love they won't be able to share in a year.

They kiss each other without any temptation to stop, lips locked and bodies glued. He knows that he has to come back, with everything that Rachel lost, and the damage that the attack did to her life. He has a responsibility to fix her with his love and words. He knows she can't loose him. She _can't._

He's the only one left she can loose.

* * *

xxviii.

They spent the next two hours making love and talking about love and loving each other. He had to pack then, despite her begging him not to, and it hurt him to watch her break like that. She lost everything, she's different now. There's still the sweet Rachel Berry he loved before the attack but now she's always afraid. He has a duty of bringing her back to normal.

Sam, Quinn and Rachel come with him to where his plane to England his, Rachel quietly hiding behind them as the two blondes bid their goodbyes. He shakes Sam's hand, patting him on the back with promises of seeing him soon, and hugs Quinn, who promises she'll take care of Rachel when they move to Ohio in an attempt to become nurses there.

Rachel chose Ohio because she told him that when he comes home, he should really be home.

It then comes to Rachel, who slithers through Quinn and Sam as they leave. She smiles timidly at him, almost shy. "I always thought you looked good in a suit," she giggles, nodding towards his uniform.

He smiles too, but he can see the cracks of her expression with the pain hidden in her eyes. He pulls her towards him, hooking his finger under her chin to tilt her head up. Placing a gentle kiss on her lips, he can feel her lips tremble in despair, breaking through her honest feelings.

Leaning his forehead against hers, he kisses her forehead. "You know I'll come back, Rachel. Please believe me when I say that. There will be more help now that America joined, and I'll write to you everyday so you know that I'm okay. Alright?"

She smiles through her tears, small but genuine. "Do you know how much I love you?"

His heart flutters a little, and he should say it now. Say it now so she has something to hold onto while he's gone, something to look forward to. He cradles her face with his hands, eyes burning into hers. "Then will you do me a favour?"

"Anything," she vows.

"Marry me."

Her eyes widen, and he can practically feel her heart hammering through her chest. Her mouth gapes open, but she's speechless. Rachel Berry is speechless for once.

"Hudson!"

He turns to see Schuester waving at him, gesturing for him to climb into the boarding plane. He holds his fingers up, indicating that he'll be a couple more minutes as he turns back to Rachel, her eyes full of confusion.

"You're going to have answer now Rach," he tells her anxiously, bouncing on his feet. His luggage is already packed on the plane, everything is ready, he's prepared, all he's waiting for is her answer. Her promise of a lifetime of love and commitment. It's crazy, knowing someone for almost three months and wanting to be with them forever.

"Yes," she whispers, and it's so low that he can barely hear her.

"Yes?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" she's squealing, all sadness forgotten as they both laugh through their tears. He picks her up, arms pinned around her waist as he twirls them both on the concrete. He can hear Quinn giggle in the background, and he peppers kisses along her face, his _fiancee. _

Schuester hollers again from the distance, and he kisses her, quick but passionate as he sets her back on the ground. "I love you," she whispers, excited despite the fact he's heading to war. He smiles against her lips, "I love you Mrs. Hudson."

She beams at him, and with one final meet kiss, he pulls away from her, eyes still connected. He walks backwards, trying to remember her beautiful face, the only thing he'll be thinking about while he's in England. "I'll see you in a year," he yells out to her.

He can see her giggle in the distance, and he thinks she'll be alright. "I'll meet you at the Altar."

Her smiling face is the last thing he sees before boarding the plane.

* * *

xxix.

Rachel and Quinn move to Ohio three months later, nothing but money and clothes. Meeting with the head in Lima's General Hospital, they're both accepted, starting their jobs and paying for rent in their one bedroom apartment. It's not until a couple days later when she receives a letter.

_Rachel,_

_It's so different here. I'm sorry I haven't been able to write to you as much, it's not that I don't want to, but it's so crazy here, Rach. It's hard to make friends, because I'm scared of loosing anyone. Like I lost Puck._

_I miss you though, and in nine months we'll be together again. I know you and Quinn are in Ohio, and I want you to visit my mother. She lives on Fourth St. number twenty-six. Just make sure she's alright, introduce yourself. I know she'll adore you like I do._

_Love forever, Finn._

She visits her the next day, nervously knocking on the door with her hair piled on top of her head, carrying apple pie. When she answers, her eyes matching Finn's brown ones, she's confused. "Hello, who's this?" she asks, and she can tell by her sweet voice how good of a mother she is. Rachel smiles, answering proudly,

"I'm your son's fiancee."

* * *

xxx.

Five months after that, she's coming home from lunch with Carole when she finds Sam in her kitchen with Quinn. They're smiling at each other, genuinely, and she can see the badge plastered on his uniform.

"Sam!"

He hugs her tightly, and he still looks the same after eight months in the war. He tells her not to worry, it's not as scary as she thinks and Finn will be alright.

For the first time in a while, she starts to feel alright.

* * *

xxxi.

Quinn and Sam somehow fall in love, stealing kisses during dinner and tender gazes while they're listening to the radio. She gets nightmares, of finding Tina dead and feeling the impact of a bomb. It's making her miss Finn more than ever, and it's not until she receives another letter that she feels whole,

_Rachel,_

_One month doll. I'll be with you in one month. I'll be able to kiss you and love you, and we'll be even more domestic then Sam and Quinn _(Rachel laughs through her tears) _I miss you like hell sweetheart, and I hear from my mother's letters that she loves you like a daughter._

_Words can't describe how desperate I am to see you again, start a family again. We'll be okay babe, everything will, and when I come back, we'll get married just like I promised._

_Love you so much, _

_Finn._

* * *

xxxii.

He marries her on December 17th, 1942, the day he comes back.

She's waiting at the altar (she wasn't kidding) with Carole, Quinn and Sam the only audience in the quiet church. She smiles patiently at the priest, her insides turning at the thought of her fiancee walking through she hasn't seen in a year walking through the doors.

She can hear the sound of a car stopping outside, and the doors open, and there he stands.

Finn.

His face is marred with scars and bruises, dark circles covering his eyes but there's still that dopey smile that she fell in love with. Still the Finn Hudson she's about to marry.

A beam widens on her features as she walks towards her, nodding at their guests as he passes. Carole holds a hand to her mouth, a small gasp escaping her as she watches her son take his place on the altar, still dressed in his uniform.

"You're late," she hisses at him, despite the smile playing at her lips. He chuckles, takes her hand in his hand and replies,

"You're so beautiful."

The ceremony is small and personal, each of them not being able to keep their eyes off each other. And when the priest declares them husband and wife, he kisses her for the first time in a year, passionate and loving. His lips are just as warm, his hands just as gentle as he cradles her face. It's warm and she holds onto him, not wanting to let him go.

Later, after he hugged his mom, and laughed with his two friends, they lay snuggled between the sheets of her apartment, _their _apartment. His bare body pressed against hers, arms wrapped tightly around her. She smiles to herself, never loving him more than in that one moment as they stay in each other's arms.

He kept his promise.

He came back to her.

* * *

xxiii.

The war ends three years later in the summer of '45.

It's a glistening moment, as Finn runs to her when he comes home from work at the station, picking her up and kissing her soundly. He's happy, she's happy, everyone should be happy.

But she can't stop herself from thinking about the day it started for her.

Many of her friends died on that fateful morning, thousands of soldiers killed and drowned. Hearts were broken, tears were shed, blood was splattered. They were attacked, suddenly attacked and no one was prepared. A child was killed that day, their child, and she could have stopped it.

But she can't think like that now, not now that her and Finn are together, that Quinn and Sam are married, now that they have a beautiful child named Noah. She can't help but think that maybe this is how her life was supposed to happen, maybe she was supposed to loose those people so she could gain new ones. Maybe God had bigger and better plans for her than she thought.

She tells him this, when they've tucked in Noah, and lay together on the bed. His hands stroke her hair as she speaks, eyes content and listening. He smiles at her when she finishes, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"America grew stronger," he says, his voice husky with age, "_we_ grew stronger, we can't regret that."

She kisses him, long and hard.

She still wakes up with nightmares, those will never change but Finn is always there to console her.

He'll always be there.

* * *

**Well that's the end! I know the ending was rushed but I didn't want to dwell on the days where Finn is gone. I wanted a happy ending and I hope I did it justice.**

**I know I'm not American, but I do have so much respect for that country on that day. They conquered Pearl Harbor, grew from it, and I hope all of you are think that a fellow Canadian writer did this infamous even justice:)**

**I hope you enjoyed reading it, and are happy with the results. May be a while before I post anything else because school is starting but I'll try my best:)**

**Enjoy the rest of your summer and please review! xoxoxoxoxoo.**


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